RCD / RCBO protection
Safety switch retrofits
Safety switches, RCDs and combined RCBOs: cut power in milliseconds when current leaks to earth, which is what happens when a person contacts a live conductor. Many Sydney homes still have circuits with no RCD protection at all, because the requirement arrived long after the house was wired.
Scope
What this covers
Assessment of which circuits carry RCD protection today
RCBO installation giving each circuit its own combined protection
Trip-operation testing on completion
Advice where old wiring conditions affect which devices suit the board
Timing
When it's needed
Any board still running rewireable fuses has no earth-leakage protection at all. Landlord obligations, pre-sale building reports and insurance reviews regularly surface missing safety switches, and adding them is usually far cheaper than the full replacement it may postpone.
A burning smell, buzzing, scorch marks or a warm panel at the switchboard are act-now signs: switch off what you safely can and get a licensed electrician onto it quickly. Never open the panel or pull fuses on the supply side yourself.
Quote variables
What shapes the scope
How many circuits need protection and whether the board has physical room
Shared neutrals in older wiring, which complicate per-circuit RCBOs
Whether nuisance-tripping appliances need investigation first
Board condition: a deteriorated panel may not justify retrofitting
Switchboard work in NSW is licensed electrical work, check the contractor's NSW electrical licence before anything starts. Where a job crosses into mains or metering on the network side of the installation, that portion must be carried out under the state's accredited service provider scheme by someone holding the relevant accreditation, so ask how that boundary is being handled.
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If this is an emergency or anyone is at immediate risk, contact the relevant emergency service or your network or utility operator directly instead of using this form.