You should upgrade a switchboard when it has old ceramic fuses, no safety switches (RCDs), frequent tripping, heat or a burning smell, asbestos backing, lights that dim when appliances start, or no space for solar, a battery or an EV charger. Heat or burning smells mean switch off and call an electrician now. Upgrades must be done by a licensed electrician.
- Heat, scorch marks or burning smells: switch off and call an electrician now.
- No safety switches or ceramic fuses: upgrade soon.
- Regular tripping always has a cause worth finding.
- Older boards may have asbestos backing, which needs careful handling.
- Upgrade before adding solar, a battery, an EV charger or induction.
How urgent is it? A quick guide
| What you've noticed | How urgent |
|---|---|
| Heat, scorch marks, buzzing or a burning smell | Now. Turn off the main switch if safe and call an electrician. |
| No safety switches | Soon. This is the main protection against electric shock. |
| Ceramic fuses | Soon. Old technology, easy to get wrong. |
| Regular tripping you can't explain | Soon. Find the cause. |
| Asbestos backing | Plan it. Safe if undisturbed, but any work needs planning. |
| Lights dimming, no spare space | Plan it. Upgrade before adding solar, a battery or EV charger. |
Not sure which applies? Send us a clear photo of your board with the cover open and we can usually tell you a fair bit before anyone visits.
1. Breakers or fuses keep tripping
A one-off trip is the board doing its job. Regular trips mean something is wrong: an overloaded circuit, a faulty appliance or moisture getting in somewhere.
Try unplugging appliances on that circuit and see if it stops. If it keeps happening, get it checked. Don't keep resetting it or swap in a bigger breaker.
Keep a note of when it trips: time of day, weather and what was running. Tripping after rain points to moisture in an outdoor outlet or light. Tripping when the oven and kettle run together points to overload. That information helps an electrician find the fault faster.
Send us a photo of your board and what you're planning. We'll tell you straight what it needs.
2. Ceramic fuses instead of circuit breakers
If your board has white ceramic fuse holders with wire inside, it's old. Rewireable fuses can be repaired with the wrong wire, which defeats the protection. They also don't show clearly which circuit has blown.
Modern breakers trip and reset with a switch, and are far easier and safer to live with.
A board with ceramic fuses usually has no safety switches either, and often no room for new circuits. That's why these boards are usually replaced rather than patched.
3. No safety switch on the board
Circuit breakers protect the wiring. Safety switches (RCDs) protect people. They cut power in a fraction of a second if current leaks to earth, like through a person.
Look for switches with a Test button. If there are none, or only one covering a few circuits, your home is under-protected. Press the test buttons every few months to check they work.
If a safety switch trips, it's telling you something. Reset it once. If it trips again, unplug appliances on that circuit and try again, then call an electrician if it keeps happening.
4. The board is warm, discoloured or smells of burning
This is the one not to wait on. Heat and scorch marks usually mean a loose or failing connection that's arcing. That's how switchboard fires start.
Turn off the main switch if it's safe to do so, don't touch anything that's hot, and call a licensed electrician.
Even if the smell goes away, get it looked at. Connections that have overheated once usually do it again, and the damage inside the board isn't always visible from the front.
5 to 7. Asbestos, dimming lights and no spare space
5. Asbestos backing
Many older Adelaide boards are mounted on panels that may contain asbestos. It's generally stable if left alone, but drilling or cutting it isn't safe. Upgrade work needs to follow SafeWork SA rules, and we'll plan the job around it.
6. Lights flicker or dim when appliances start
If the lights dip when the air con, pump or oven kicks in, the board or supply may be struggling. It often starts after a new split system goes in. See what size split system you need.
7. No spare space for new circuits
Solar, batteries, EV chargers, heat pumps, induction cooktops and ducted air con all need circuits. A full board can't take them. If you're planning any of these, upgrade first. Our EV charger guide covers this too.
What happens during an upgrade
- We check your board, wiring and supply, and talk about what you plan to add
- You get a free, itemised quote
- On the day, power is off while the board is replaced. We'll give you the timing with the quote
- New breakers and safety switches are fitted and circuits labelled
- Everything is tested and you get a certificate of compliance
Our installs come with a lifetime workmanship warranty, and we work right across South Australia. See switchboard upgrades.
If you're planning solar, a battery or an EV charger in the next year or two, tell us. We'll lay out the new board with space for those circuits so you don't pay for work twice.