Switchboard Upgrades Adelaide
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- 13+ years in the trade
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- Licensed & insured · PGE 229 469
A switchboard upgrade replaces the old panel that controls power to your house with a modern board that has safety switches and circuit breakers. It is the most common fix for an old home with ceramic fuses, a board that keeps tripping, or no room for an air conditioner or EV charger. Call us and we will tell you whether your board needs replacing or just some work.
Switchboard work is a steady part of what we do for home owners: over 200 jobs in the 12 months to October 2026 involved a switchboard or meter box.
Signs your switchboard needs upgrading
Most switchboards do not fail suddenly. They give warnings first. If any of these sound familiar, it is worth having the board looked at:
- It has ceramic fuses (small porcelain plugs with fuse wire) instead of switches.
- Circuit breakers or safety switches trip often, or will not reset.
- The board looks old, cracked, scorched or has a brown or yellow tinge near the wires.
- It is a wooden board or has asbestos-style backing. Do not touch it. Call an electrician.
- There is a buzzing or crackling sound, or a burning smell near the board.
- You have no safety switch (RCD) protecting the power points and lights.
- You are adding an air conditioner, EV charger or oven and the board has no spare room.
If you smell burning or see smoke, switch off at the main switch if it is safe to do so, leave the house and call 000. Then call us.
What a switchboard upgrade involves
A licensed electrician inspects your existing board and wiring first, so the quote matches what your house actually needs. In most homes the job follows the same steps:
- We check the board, the main switch and the circuits it feeds.
- We agree the scope with you, including which circuits get safety switches.
- Power is switched off and the old board is removed.
- The new board is fitted, wired and labelled so every circuit is clear.
- We test every circuit and safety switch, then restore power.
Power is off for part of the day, so plan around fridges, medical equipment and anyone working from home. Tell us about anything that cannot lose power and we will plan the job around it.
How long does it take?
A standard home upgrade is usually a part of a day to a full day, depending on how many circuits there are and how tidy the existing wiring is. Larger homes, or boards that need extra work on old wiring, can take longer. We will give you an honest time estimate when we look at the job.
Safety and compliance in South Australia
Switchboard work must be done by a licensed electrician. Hoile Electrical holds SA electrical licence PGE 229 469. You should not do this work yourself or hire anyone who cannot show a licence number.
Modern boards include safety switches (RCDs), which cut the power in a fraction of a second if electricity flows where it should not. Our guide to safety switches and RCDs explains how they work, and our safety switch installation page covers adding them. In short, a circuit breaker protects the wiring from overload, a safety switch protects people from shock, and an RCBO does both jobs for one circuit in a single device.
Simple upgrade or full board replacement?
Not every board needs to be thrown out. The right job depends on the age and condition of the board, how many circuits it feeds and what you plan to add.
- A simple upgrade: the board is in sound condition but is missing safety switches, or needs one or two new circuit breakers. We add the protection and label the board.
- A full replacement: the board has ceramic fuses, is damaged or overheated, is full, or cannot take what you want to add. The whole panel is replaced with a modern one.
- Meter box or mains work: if the meter box or the consumer mains cable into the house needs upgrading, we handle that as part of the job and explain it before we start. We also replace or relocate meter boxes that are rusty or damaged. See our consumer mains page.
We offer surge protection as an add-on when we upgrade your switchboard. A surge arrester at the switchboard helps protect TVs, computers and other sensitive electronics from voltage spikes. The MFS suggests considering a surge arrestor on your mains power board as part of its electrical fire safety tips. Ask us to include one in your quote.
We will tell you honestly which one your home needs after we have looked at the board. We will not suggest a full replacement if a smaller job does the work safely.
SA compliance and certificate of compliance
Switchboard work must be done by a licensed electrician. The Consumer and Business Services (CBS) website lets you check whether a person or company is licensed to do work for you, and it advises you to always check that whoever does the work holds the appropriate licence. Our guide to checking an electrician's licence shows how.
After the work, the electrician has to certify it. In South Australia electrical work is certified with an electronic Certificate of Compliance (eCoC), which is lodged through the Office of the Technical Regulator (OTR) system. The OTR says the certificate must be certified before the installation is made available for energisation, and then submitted and given to the owner within 30 days.
You do not log in to that system yourself, because members of the public cannot directly access it. Your electrician emails you the certificate from the system, or posts a printed copy if you do not use email. Keep it with your house papers.
If you buy a home, the OTR says new owners can request copies of previously issued certificates from the previous owners, or contact the OTR on (08) 8429 3394. Our guide to the certificate of compliance in SA explains what it proves and how to ask for a copy.
What to ask your electrician before you book
- Can I see your licence number?
- Will every circuit get a safety switch, and which ones?
- Is the quote fixed, and what could change it?
- How long will the power be off?
- What work comes with a workmanship guarantee?
Planning for air-con or EV charging
A new air conditioner or EV charger adds load to your board. If the board is old or full, upgrading it first is often the sensible way to add new equipment safely. Tell us what you are planning and we will check the board can take it.
If you are weighing up the job, the switchboard upgrade cost guide explains what changes the cost, and you can read how to check an electrician's licence in SA before you book.
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Our Reviews
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Fast, detailed and reliable workers! Eased my mind about concerns and were kind to my children when they were being annoying!
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Excellent service! Professional, efficient, and neat work. Very happy with the installation. Highly recommended!
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Hoile Electrical arranged an electrician very quickly to review my smoke alarms. Ross was very friendly, efficient and helpful. Much appreciated and will definitely call them for electrical issues again.
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Gerad arrived on time.spent a lot of time explaining the process of improving our air conditioning,would recommend him for your air conditioning needs, Craig
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Hoile Electrical were recommended to us and we can see why. Very quick and efficient service by James and Nathan. Excellent communication all the way through. The whole experience was faultless.
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Very professional and good at what they do.
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Common questions
How do I know if I need a new switchboard?
Ceramic fuses, frequent tripping, visible damage, a burning smell or no safety switch are the main signs. An electrician can confirm after a quick inspection.
Do I need a licensed electrician to upgrade a switchboard?
Yes. Switchboard work must be done by a licensed electrician in South Australia.
Will the power be off while you work?
Yes, for part of the job. We plan the day with you so the power is off for as short a time as we can manage.
Can I add a safety switch without replacing the whole board?
Sometimes. It depends on the age and space in your board. We will tell you honestly if a full upgrade is not needed.
Will a new board help with tripping?
If tripping is caused by an old board, yes. If a faulty appliance or wiring is causing it, we will find and fix that too.
Will I get a Certificate of Compliance after a switchboard upgrade?
Yes. Your electrician certifies the work through the Office of the Technical Regulator's online system and passes you a copy, usually by email, or by post if you do not use email.
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Competitive pricing to provide practical solutions to your electrical needs; Lifetime workmanship guarantee.