Every job tested before we leave.

Unplug everything on the circuits that safety switch protects, reset it, then plug things back in one at a time. If it trips when one appliance goes back in, that appliance is the fault, and old kettles, fridges and outdoor gear after rain are the usual ones. If it trips again with nothing plugged in, the fault is in the fixed wiring or a hardwired appliance like the hot water system or oven. Stop resetting it at that point and call us, because we can test each circuit to find where the current is leaking.

Yes. From 1 January 2027 every Queensland home must have photoelectric smoke alarms that are interconnected, so when one sounds they all sound. They go in every bedroom, in hallways that connect bedrooms to the rest of the home, and on every level. Each alarm must be hardwired or run on a 10-year non-removable battery. Homes sold or leased since 1 January 2022 already have to meet the rule.

Press the button marked T or Test on each safety switch at the board. It should trip straight away and cut power to the circuits it protects. Flick it back up and the power returns. Queensland's Electrical Safety Office recommends testing them every three months. If one does not trip when you press the button, it is not protecting you, so call an electrician to replace it.

The usual signs are ceramic fuses instead of circuit breakers, no safety switch fitted, breakers that trip again and again, scorch marks or a burning smell near the board, or no spare space left for something new like an EV charger or solar. Plenty of older Brisbane homes still run their original board. An on-site look is the only reliable way to know.

Yes. Voltway Electrical takes urgent calls for faults like a board that will not reset, exposed wiring or a total loss of power. After-hours and weekend work is priced above a weekday job, and we tell you the callout cost on the phone before anyone drives out. If something is sparking, smoking or smells hot, switch it off at the main switch first.

Flickering LEDs usually come down to a dimmer that was made for old halogen or incandescent globes, a loose connection at the switch or fitting, or a cheap driver. A flicker from a loose connection is worth fixing quickly, because a poor joint carrying current heats up over time. Swapping the dimmer for one rated for LED loads fixes most of them.

It is the document a Queensland electrical contractor gives you once the work has been tested and is safe to use. It records what was done and that the testing required by AS/NZS 3000, the wiring rules, was carried out. We issue it at the end of the job wherever the work calls for one, and you keep a copy for your records, your insurer and any future sale.

Yes. A typical 7 kW home charger draws about 32 amps for hours at a time, so it needs its own circuit from the switchboard. We work out what the rest of the house already draws before quoting. If the board has no room or the supply is already close to its limit, the board gets upgraded first, and we say so before you buy the charger.

No. In Queensland, electrical work has to be done by a licensed electrician, and that includes swapping a light fitting, a power point or a switch. Beyond the law, a circuit can be wired differently to what you expect, and the fault is not always visible from the front of the plate.

Only if the downlights are rated for it. Old halogen downlights run hot and need clear space around them, and insulation pushed against them is a fire risk. LED downlights marked IC-4 are designed to be covered by insulation. Replacing old halogens with IC-4 rated LEDs is the usual fix, and it cuts the power they use too.

A rewire on an average-sized home usually takes from a few days to about two weeks. It depends on how easy the walls and roof space are to get into, whether you are living in the house during the work, and how much of the existing wiring can stay. We can only give a real timeframe after seeing the property.

For most small jobs, yes. Tell us what is happening, where the house is and roughly how old it is, and we can usually give you a price before anything is booked. Bigger work like a switchboard upgrade or a rewire is quoted after a look at the property, because guessing at it helps nobody.