licensed electrician

Home Improvements: When to Hire A Licensed Electrician

Posted by Grae Munro on

Are you planning to spruce up your home? Although it’s tempting and exciting to do some DIY (it’s all in YouTube anyway, right?), some home improvement projects need the services of a licensed electrician for safety purposes.

Home Improvement Projects That Need A Licensed Electrician

Lighting

Your lighting system not only adds aesthetic value to your home; but it is also functional and practical. It illuminates the inside and the outside of your home, making it one of the most used electrical systems.

Lighting Fixture Installation

Make sure you engage the services of a residential electrician if you decide to replace old light fixtures. When you take them out from the ceiling, expect to see lots of wires. For someone who is not an electrician, this can get confusing.

Outdoor Lighting

The challenge for upgrading the outdoor lighting system is to ensure it can withstand outside elements such as weather changes. To avoid safety hazards, a licensed electrician can install grounded outdoor wiring properly.

Home Theatre

Who doesn’t love a home theatre where you and your family can be couch potatoes during the weekends? A fantastic home theatre has features like surround speakers, huge mounted smart TVs, adjustable lighting, ethernet ports, additional cabling and many more.

Installing a new home theatre or upgrading one requires a licensed electrician to do proper lighting control and other electrical installations.

Rewiring

Are you tired of seeing extension cords around your house? They are a bit of an eyesore, especially if there’s too many of them.

Rewiring your home entire home allows you to install new plugs, outlets and sockets. As it is a very complex task, you would need a licensed electrician’s expertise to complete the job.

Home Automation

There’s no better way to make home improvement than upgrading to home automation! To get all your systems hooked up, make sure you hire accredited home automation installers who can also advise you of the most optimal way to use your new smart system.

Where To Find A Licensed Electrician

Detlev’s is a team of award-winning licensed electricians in Canberra. Our residential electricians provide a wide range of electrical services that you may need for making home improvements.

Here are some of our services

Avoid costly mistakes when making electrical upgrades and home improvements. Choose to hire a licensed electrician to do the work for you. We can help, please BOOK IN for a quote.

Related Tag: Electrical Maintenance

Smoke Alarm Upgrades

Does My Property Need Smoke Alarm Upgrades?

Posted by Grae Munro on

Is your property due for smoke alarm upgrades? Installing working smoke alarms in all occupied homes and commercial buildings is a necessity. Equally important is using the type of device that meets the required Australian Government Standard AS3786. The two types commonly used in QLD homes: Photoelectric and Ionisation alarms. Currently, both can be legally purchased and used. 

Different Alarm Legislations By Different Australian States

For many years now, the Australian Fire Authorities and Fire Brigades have been recommending the use of Photoelectric Smoke Alarms. There is a global campaign for a total ban of Ionisation alarms, as this type is not interconnected and past their replacement date. Furthermore, studies show that Photoelectric alarms typically respond to smoky fires within about three to five minutes, while Ionisation alarms may take up to 20 minutes or more, by which time escape can be much more difficult.

The Northern Territory has led the way for legislating against the use of Ionisation smoke alarms, and other states are following suit. From the 1st of January 2022 in QLD, all residential properties still using Ionisation alarms will need to have a smoke alarm upgrade.

According to the placement guidelines, all residences must have hardwired 240-volt, interconnected Photoelectric smoke alarms installed in each bedroom, passageway and living areas. If it is not possible to wire a smoke alarm system in your residential property, a ten-year lithium battery-powered smoke detector can be used.

As of writing, New South Wales and the ACT region still follow that all smoke alarms installed in residential accommodation meet the  Australian Government Standard AS3786. Property owners and landlords can still opt to use either Photoelectric or Ionisation smoke alarms.

To find out what type you currently have in your home, get in touch with licensed electrical installers

Other Times You May Need Electrical Installers To Do Smoke Alarm Upgrades

  • When your smoke alarm is nearing the ten-year mark as typically, this is the time when the sensors start to weaken
  • When detectors are repeatedly setting false alarms
  • When they malfunction and do not react to alarm triggers

*If your smoke alarm is not ten years old, and is malfunctioning, contact licensed electrical installers. They will diagnose the issue and will provide you with the right recommendation.

Please call us if you need further information about smoke alarm upgrades. We can also help with other electric installation services, such as putting up a smoke alarm system, so your property can comply with the new legislation.