Frequently Asked Questions
When do I call an Electrician to fix my broken hot water system?
Sometimes when you are having issues with your hot water it could be an electrical issue. If the circuit breaker or RCD has tripped off, this is a sign you need to call your electrician. Other times your water might only be get warm, or it is staying cold, this could be a thermostat issue and something your experienced electrical tradesman can assess and repair.
If your hot water unit is leaking, rusted or no water is flowing from your taps, these are unfortunately not issues we will be able to fix, calling your licensed plumber is the best option in these situations.
I have an electrical fault, what situations do I need to report the issue to Western Power?
If you have felt a shock or tingle when touching something in your home, if it is an electrical appliance, outlet or even from touching your tap, you will need to call Western Power to report the issue. Call Western Power to report an incident on 13 13 51. For more information on this head to Western Power’s Reporting Guidelines.( https://www.westernpower.com.au/safety/reporting-incidents-and-emergencies/ )
How often do I need to change my smoke alarm battery?
Every year! You should change your smoke alarm battery once a year, on 1 April.
My Smoke alarm is hardwired, why do I still need to change the battery?
The battery in your hardwired smoke alarm is used as a backup in case of power outage. In order to ensure that the battery remains operational in cases of emergency, this needs to be changed yearly.
Why can’t I remove the battery from my smoke alarm?
If you have a smoke alarm that you can’t remove the battery from this means that you have a battery powered smoke alarm. These are installed with a non-removable 10-year battery to ensure that smoke can be detected when it is not possible to have a detector connected to your main power source.
How do I test my RCD safety switches?
RCDs should be tested every 3 months to ensure they are still functioning properly. All you have to do is press the small blue test button on each RCD in your switchboard. This will simulate a power fault and if the RCD is functional it will trip the power off. If the RCD switch does not flip, or the power does not turn off, this indicates that the safety switch is faulty and will need to be assessed and replaced by a licensed electrician.
My power has gone out, what do I do?
Losing power can be very frustrating and something that you want fixed as soon as possible! Did you know there are things you can check first before you have an electrician come to take a look? First check in your meter box or switchboard to see if any of your RCDs have tripped. If no switches are flipped off, it is likely a Western Power outage and could be worth waiting it out or checking online to see if there are any reported issues.
If any of your RCDs has tripped it could be a faulty appliance. We suggest unplugging everything from power and then switching the power back on. Make sure you are unplugging the appliances, and not just turning them off, as the RCD can still detect an issue from the plugged appliance. If the power turns on, one by one plug your appliances in to see if they trip the power. 9/10 it is an appliance that is faulty or malfunctioning. Make sure you are unplugging new appliances too, as these can often be the cause.
If all else fails and it is not an appliance that is causing the issue, we suggest now is the time to call your licensed electrician to assess the issue and find the fault. If you need more advice on what to do, call our office and our friendly staff will walk you through the processes that need to be taken to identify any issues.
MY LIGHTS ARE ON, BUT MY POWER POINTS AREN’T WORKING, WHAT IS WRONG?
This means you have partial power to your home, and you likely have one RCD that has tripped. This means it is likely an appliance fault and we encourage you to unplug all the appliances and then turn the RCD back on from the switchboard. Once the RCD has been reset, start plugging in appliances one by one to see if any of them are triggering the power outage.
If an RCD has not tripped but there is still no power to your appliances, this could indicate a faulty GPO, which means a licensed electrician should attend to assess the situation and repair any faults.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF UPGRADING FROM HALOGEN LIGHTING TO LED GLOBES?
LED lighting is brighter and more energy efficient – therefore they reduce your energy usage. LED lighting also lasts longer and more cost effective when you do need to replace the globes.
Do you charge a call out fee?
While we do not charge a call out fee, we do have a minimum rate for attending site to complete works. All scheduled works will have a minimum charge of $180 ex GST, which accounts for 30 minutes of labour. If you want to have a more accurate understanding of what your job will cost, we encourage you to speak with our office and they will be able to put together a quote for your requested works.
Please note, that we unfortunately cannot quote on fault jobs, as the time and materials can only be determined once our tradesmen have diagnosed the issue while on site. For this type of work clients will incur the minimum charge and we can quote on the works after the initial assessment if you would like a better understanding on the cost of works.
Do you offer free electrical quotes?
Yes, we do! Depending on the work that you are having done or not, either we can pop together a quote and send it to you via email or one of our knowledgeable project managers can meet you onsite to run through the scope and send you a quote; all free of charge!
Do I need to pay for the completed electrical work while Always Electrical is still on site?
No, Always Electrical will issue you an invoice within a week on your electrical work being completed. This will be sent to the email address that you provided us when we scheduled your electrical works.
Do Always Electrical replace consumer poles?
We are highly skilled in replacing consumer poles. We coordinate all the works associated with replacing consumer poles, including liaising with Western Power, meaning minimal effort and interruption for our clients. Typically the client will only be without power for 2-3 hours during the complete process. Upon completion of the works, we are also able to remove the old consumer pole from site.
Why can’t I be quoted on Always Electrical attending to my electrical fault or repair?
Unfortunately, fault and repair works are difficult to quote on, as they can be caused by a multitude of different reasons and, generally, we won’t be able to determine the exact cause or issue until we are onsite. Therefore, we can’t accurately determine how long it may take, what parts are required and what the cost will be. Our starting cost for fault works is $180 ex. GST, which covers up to 30 minutes of labour. All parts and extra time spent onsite are addition to this.