Do you actually need a safety switch upgrade?
Safety switches (RCDs) are one of the cheapest, most effective pieces of safety gear on any property. Here's what they do and how to tell if yours are missing.
Call 0459 450 833A safety switch — technically a residual current device, or RCD — is designed to do one job: cut the power fast enough to prevent a fatal electric shock. It's a different piece of equipment to a circuit breaker or fuse, which protect the wiring, not the person using it.
How to tell if you're covered
Open your switchboard and look for switches labelled 'test' with a button on them — that's the visible sign of an RCD. If every circuit has one, you're in good shape. If only some circuits do, or none do, it's worth getting it looked at.
Why it matters more on older properties
Safety switches weren't mandatory on Victorian homes built before the mid-1990s, and plenty of older switchboards — especially on farms and rural properties — were never retrofitted. It's a genuinely low-cost upgrade for the protection it provides.
It's one of the cheapest jobs we quote, and consistently one of the most worthwhile.
Not sure what's on your board? Send us a photo and we'll tell you straight, free of charge.
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