If your home is more than 20 years old, there’s a good chance it hasn’t had a professional electrical safety inspection. Most people don’t think about their wiring until something goes wrong — and by then, the problem’s usually been building for a while.
1. Your circuit breakers trip regularly
A circuit breaker that trips occasionally is doing its job. One that trips every time you run the kettle and the toaster at the same time is telling you something. It could be a wiring fault, an overloaded circuit, or a switchboard that’s past its serviceable life. Any of these is worth investigating — and none of them fix themselves.
2. Your lights flicker or dim unexpectedly
Flickering lights aren’t always about the bulb. If you’re noticing it across multiple rooms, or when certain appliances switch on, the issue is likely in your wiring or at the switchboard. Loose connections, aging wiring, and overloaded circuits can all cause this — and left alone, they can become fire risks.
3. Power points feel warm or look discoloured
A power point should be room temperature. If yours feel warm to the touch, or you notice scorch marks or discolouration around the socket, stop using it immediately and call a licensed electrician. Warm or discoloured outlets indicate heat buildup from a poor connection or overloaded circuit — both serious, neither acceptable.
4. You don’t have RCD safety switches
RCDs (residual current devices, also called safety switches) cut power in milliseconds when they detect a fault — potentially the difference between a near-miss and something far worse. Homes built before the mid-2000s often don’t have them, or don’t have them across all circuits. If you’re not sure whether your home is covered, an inspection will tell you clearly.
5. You’re about to renovate or purchase a property
Before you start pulling down walls or signing a contract, get the electrical condition independently assessed. Renovation work frequently uncovers wiring that’s past its life expectancy. Buying a property without understanding its electrical condition can lead to expensive surprises — and some of those surprises aren’t covered by building insurance.
How often should you get an inspection?
For most residential properties, every five years is a sensible baseline. If you’re renting out a property, running a home business, or the home is more than 30 years old, more frequent checks make sense. An inspection typically takes one to two hours and covers your switchboard, wiring condition, earthing, power outlets, lighting circuits, and safety switches. You’ll leave with a clear picture of what’s safe, what needs attention, and what can wait.
MRCES services Margaret River, Cowaramup, Busselton, Augusta and surrounds. To book a safety inspection, call Michael on 0459 028 164 or visit mrces.com.au. We’ve been doing this since 1991 — there’s not much we haven’t seen.
