Electrical
Safety switch installation in Brisbane
A safety switch, or RCD, watches the current flowing out on a circuit against the current coming back. If the two stop matching, which is what happens when electricity finds a path to earth through a person, it cuts the supply in a fraction of a second.
- Licence 90673
- ARCtick L169731
- Fully insured
Circuit breakers and fuses do not do this. They protect the wiring from overload, not a person from electrocution. Plenty of older Brisbane boards have breakers and no RCDs at all.
What it covers
What's included.
Board assessment
Which circuits currently have RCD protection, which do not, and whether the board has room to add it.
RCD installation
Safety switches fitted to power and lighting circuits, sized for the circuit they protect.
RCBO options
Combined RCD and circuit breaker units where board space is tight or per-circuit isolation is wanted.
Nuisance tripping diagnosis
If an existing RCD trips repeatedly, the cause gets traced before anything is replaced.
Testing
Every device is tested on completion, including trip time, not just the test button.
Certification
The required Certificate of Testing and Compliance is issued.
Why people call
Common reasons for this job.
- The switchboard has no RCD test buttons anywhere on it
- Only some circuits are protected and others are not
- An existing safety switch trips repeatedly
- A property is being sold or leased
- New circuits are being added for air-conditioning or an oven
- An older board is being brought up to current standards
Worth acting on
Signs something is wrong.
- No test buttons visible anywhere on the switchboard
- A safety switch that will not stay reset
- A device that does not trip when the test button is pressed
- A tingle or shock from an appliance, tap or metal fixture
How Hoff works
The approach.
Hoff checks what protection is actually on the board rather than assuming. It is common to find RCDs on the power circuits and nothing on lighting, which leaves a real gap.
Where a device trips repeatedly, the switch is usually working correctly and something on the circuit is leaking to earth. Replacing the RCD without finding that fault removes the protection and leaves the danger.
Testing is done with an instrument, not the test button alone. The button confirms the mechanism moves; it does not confirm the device trips within the required time.
Installing or altering safety switches is electrical work requiring a licensed electrical contractor. Hoff holds Electrical Contractor Licence 90673. Work is tested and certified on completion. Queensland has specific safety switch requirements for dwellings being sold or leased — confirm your obligation with the Queensland Electrical Safety Office.
Suitable for
Where this comes up.
Safety switches questions.
A circuit breaker protects the wiring from overload and short circuit. A safety switch protects a person from electric shock by cutting supply when current leaks to earth. They do different jobs and a board can have one without the other.
Usually because it is doing its job and something on that circuit is leaking to earth. A failing appliance, moisture in an outdoor fitting or a damaged cable are the common causes. The fault gets traced rather than the device replaced.
It depends on how the circuits are arranged. Protecting every final subcircuit is the strongest arrangement. Hoff will show you what is currently covered and what is not.
Modern boards usually have them, but not always on every circuit. It is worth confirming rather than assuming.
Yes, pressing the test button periodically is worth doing. It confirms the mechanism operates, though only an instrument test confirms it trips fast enough.
Send Hoff the safety switches details.
Describe the job in plain words and Hoff will come back to you personally with a written price.