Have you had solar installed but not had a chance to review the electricity tariffs that you are on?  Depending which feed in tariff you have it may be more cost efficient to change some appliances to day time use (Tariff 11), therefore using the solar electricity generated.  This would be true for your electrical hot water system and pool pumps that don’t need to run 24/7.  Whereas previously, to be cost efficient these items would have been on Tariff 33 or 31 the economy tariffs which have a cheaper rate than tariff 11. 

To make the most you are getting the most out of your solar give Rolly a call today to discuss.  We can review your electricity account to help you work out if you should change Tariff’s to make the most of your solar system. 

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If you have a circuit breaker / safety switch that keeps tripping, most of the time it won’t be the breaker at fault.  It is probably responding to a condition elsewhere on the circuit it is protecting ie a faulty appliance.  You can quite often diagnose the problem yourself.

Start by turning off and unplugging every electrical appliance in the house.  Note everything needs to be UNPLUGGED including the fridge.  Then gradually plug everything back in one at a time.   Once it trips again you will have found the faulty appliance.

If the tripping is not immediate, high-wattage items like a microwave or hairdryer when running along with a few lights for awhile are probably too much for the circuit. If these “overloads” can’t be avoided by limiting the use of other things on the circuit, a new separate circuit for the heavy item is the only solution.  Many hair dryers, however, have a lower-watt setting on them; using that might help.

Occasionally a faulty breaker will be the problem and you will need an electrician to replace it.  Give Rolly a call on 04103750978 if you have any questions.

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Test and Tag – From Wikipedia
AS/NZS 3760 is a standard created by Standards Australia that outlines a testing method and frequency for electrical appliances. It was created to minimize electrical hazards in the workplace. Appliances are inspected for damage, and various measurements are made to the appliances’ earth continuity, insulation, polarity, and physical condition. After testing has determined a pass, a tag is attached to the appliance lead indicating when it was tested, when the next test is due, and a tracking code. Retesting intervals of equipment can vary from 3 months to 5 years, depending of the environment where the equipment is located.

This standard is used in both Australia and New Zealand. Colloquially, the standard is often referred to as Test and Tag.

The standard also includes the inspection and testing specifications for RCD’s.

Excluded items:

The items listed below are not included in Standard recommendations:

• Hard or fixed wired
• Exceeding 2.5mtrs in height
• Dismantled items to check operation safety
• New, sample or demo items contained within a warehouse or retail situation

• All employers and self-employed people must locate and protect extension leads and flexible cables so they are not damaged by anything, including liquid. An example is using a cover to prevent crushing or other damage in pedestrian and vehicle areas.
• The following two Electrical Safety Codes of Practice provide valuable information on electrical safety at work:
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2010 – Working Near Exposed Live Parts
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2010 – Risk Management

RCDs should also be tested on a regular basis.  The standard detailing the requirements for these tests is covered in AS/NZS 3760:2010.

The following tests should be carried out:

• Visual
• Mechanical test  (check that the RCD trips when pressing the test button)
• Safety switch injection tests (time to trip) – this is where a test current is injected into the RCD protected power point and the time to trip the RCD is measured both at zero degrees and 180 degrees of the sine wave cycle.

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