When does a switchboard need upgrading?
What a switchboard upgrade actually is
Your switchboard is the control centre for the home's electrics — it takes the incoming supply and splits it into the circuits that run your lights, power points and appliances, and it's where the protective devices live. An upgrade replaces a tired or unsafe board with modern circuit breakers and safety switches (RCDs), properly labelled, on a sound enclosure, and sized for how the home is actually used today.
Signs your board is due for an upgrade
- Ceramic or rewireable fuses — the old white porcelain fuse holders with fuse wire. They protect the wiring but do nothing to protect people.
- No safety switches (RCDs) — if there are no "test" buttons on the board, you likely have no RCD protection on your circuits.
- No main switch, or no clear way to turn everything off in one action.
- A full board — no spare ways to add the circuit a renovation, EV charger or air conditioner needs.
- Frequent tripping that isn't explained by one faulty appliance.
- Any sign of heat — scorching, discolouration, a buzzing sound or a burning smell. Treat this as urgent.
- An asbestos backing board — common behind older boards and meter boxes (see below).
Heat, buzzing or a burning smell? Don't wait
Scorching, a buzzing noise or a burning smell at the board is a sign of a loose or overheating connection and can be a fire risk. Turn off the main switch if it's safe to reach, keep clear, and call a licensed electrician. Never poke around inside a switchboard yourself — it's live, and it's licensed electrical work.
Asbestos backing boards
Older boards and meter boxes are often mounted on asbestos-cement backing, which matters as soon as anyone needs to work on the board. We check for it before we start, and where the work would disturb asbestos we don't cut or drill it — it's assessed and, if needed, made safe first. There's more detail in our guide on asbestos and electrical work.
Safety switches (RCDs) and the law
A modern board includes RCDs, which cut the power in a fraction of a second if current leaks to earth — the kind of fault that can give someone a fatal shock. Rental properties in WA are required to have compliant RCDs, and adding them is often best done as part of a board upgrade rather than in isolation. Our guide on RCDs in WA property explains who needs them and why.
When new work forces an upgrade
Even a sound-looking board can reach its limit. Adding an EV charger, ducted air conditioning, a workshop or solar can call for extra circuits, more capacity or RCD protection that an old board simply can't provide. It's usually cheaper to plan the board upgrade alongside that work than to redo things later. A bigger supply — such as moving from single to three phase — can also mean notifying Western Power.
Switchboard upgradesOld boards replaced with modern circuit breakers and safety switches — installed to standard, tested and documented. Do I need RCDs in my WA property?What safety switches do, who needs them, and why a board upgrade is often the right home for them. Guide price for a switchboard upgradeGet a rough range for your board with our online guide price tool.Quick questions
How do I know if my switchboard needs upgrading?
Common signs are ceramic or rewireable fuses, no safety switches (RCDs), no main switch, a board that's full with no room for new circuits, frequent tripping, or any sign of heat such as scorching or a burning smell. Adding a big new load like an EV charger, ducted air conditioning or solar often prompts an upgrade too.
Are ceramic fuses illegal?
Having ceramic or rewireable fuses is not automatically against the law. But a board with only fuses has no safety-switch (RCD) protection for people, and any new electrical work has to meet current requirements. Rental properties in WA must have compliant RCDs, which usually means the board needs work.
Do I have to replace the whole switchboard?
Not always. Sometimes safety switches or extra circuits can be added to a sound board. But where a board is full, fuse-based, damaged or mounted on an asbestos backing, a full upgrade is usually the safer and tidier long-term fix. A licensed electrician will tell you which applies to yours.
Will you need to turn the power off to upgrade the board?
Yes. Replacing a switchboard means the power is off for the property while the work is done. We plan the outage, keep it as short as we can and let you know beforehand so you can prepare.