Smoke Alarms save lives.

If a properly maintained smoke alarm is installed reports indicate that the risk of death by house fires is significantly reduced by more than half.

It is recommended by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services that:

• Residential accommodation be fitted with photoelectric type smoke alarms
• To be either hard wired or powered by a 10 year lithium battery
• To be located at each level of living space, outside each bedroom and in every bedroom
• All smoke alarms should be interconnected Property Owners/managers have a legal obligation to install smoke alarms that comply with Australian Standards outside sleeping areas and one on each level of the dwelling.

From 1st May 2014 all new buildings submitted for approval must have hard wired and interconnected smoke alarms. Australian Standards requires that Smoke Alarms have a recommended service life of at least 10 years under normal conditions of use. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services recommend that the Smoke Alarm be replaced before the end of its service life.

Maintaining Smoke Alarms

• Check battery once per month by pressing button.
• Replace and flat or nearly flat batteries
• Keep smoke alarms clean – dust can interfere with operation
• Replace battery every 12 months

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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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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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The electrical industry is being flooded with second rate, cheap electrical products. On comparison of a known brand power point eg. Clipsal with a cheaper brand you can notice the differences in quality straight away. Some of these cheaper brands will more than likely break before the year is out, leaving you with costly bills to fix the problem.

We all seek the best price but you need to remember that ‘you get what you pay for’ and if a quote is significantly less than another you need to ask yourself why. These second rate products although cheaper in the beginning will end up costing your more in the end and could pose a safety issue to your family as they fail.

Brands that have a reputation for quality will usually not want to harm their brand by using inferior quality components. Their products are properly researched and designed.

At Rolly’s Electrical we use quality products that will save you money in the long run.

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Do you need your solar panels cleaned?

Over time dust, insect and bird droppings and other substances build up on solar panels and limit the electricity generated by each panel.  Even panels which are partially covered will be affected.

 Rolly’s Electrical can come and clean your panels for you, which usually will take a couple of hours depending on where the panels are (double story house v single) and how many panels there are.  It is important that the system is shut down before commencing cleaning, which is why it is important for you to get a qualified electrician to clean your panels.  Where possible we will clean the panels from the ground using a good quality soft brush.

It is best to clean the panels when they are not in direct sun and it will evaporate the water used and dirt will be smeared.  Either early the morning, evening or on an overcast day is best. 

Give us a call today to discuss if your panels need a clean to ensure they are operating at their maximum efficiency.  Ph 0410375098.

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What is a switchboard upgrade?

A switchboard upgrade is when an electrician replaces your switchboard with a new one.

The picture below shows an old switchboard with an asbestos back and fuses on the left and new switchboard on the right with safety switches.

Why would you need to have your switchboard upgraded?

Some of the reasons you may need to upgrade your switchboard are:

• Fuses keeps blowing – when you using appliances

• Safety – you wish to install safety switches to protect your family

• Lights are flickering

• Board is too small – and doesn’t accommodate the modern appliances in your home. You want to add additional air conditioners or other appliances which require more power. Old houses only had a stove, lights and a few power points. • You want to install a new power point and have been told you don’t have enough room on your existing fuse board for the new safety switch

• Burnt out fuse holder – the existing fuse board has had cabling that has overheated and has burnt out one or more of the fuse holders

• Burnt out fuse board panel – oversized fuse wire has been used in the fuse holder and has burnt out a wire behind the fuse board panel

• Solar panels – you want to install solar panels and your installer has asked you to upgrade your board

• Your home’s wiring is quite old, you can’t afford a complete rewire but you want the added protection of safety switches and correctly rated circuit breakers

Old switchboards and fuses are a major cause of house fires. If you are unsure if you require and upgrade give Rolly a call and he can come and have a look and give you a free quote if necessary to upgrade.

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Do you know what to look for?  If you live in an older home with wiring that hasn’t been upgraded you need to be vigilant.  Be on the lookout for the following to ensure danger isn’t hiding in your wall and ceilings.

Flickering lights – this may indicate faulty wiring or that a circuit breaker needs replacing.

Broken and/or discoloured power points and switches – any charring is bad news and the item should be replaced immediately

Tripping safety switches or fuses – this indicates a fault in the circuit and should be investigated further to identify the issue.  Unplug every appliance on the circuit and gradually plug each item back in.  When it trips again you can identify the faulty item.  Occasionally the safety switch is faulty and you need us to replace it.

Burning smell – if you smell a burning smell but can’t identify where it is coming from contact us to come and do a safety check.

If you have any concerns surrounding the wiring of your house give us a call today on 0410375098 and we can do a safety audit.  You never know what may be lurking in your walls.

Look what we found at one customers house, a rat had created a short, leading to their safety switch tripping.

The post Does your house have faulty wiring? appeared first on Rollys Electrical Townsville.

DID YOU KNOW
A safety switch will detect any loss of power associated with electric shock and stop the flow of electricity in less than 40 milliseconds, which could save your life.

How long since you have tested your safety switch?

They should be tested approximately every 3 months. You can do this by pressing the ‘test’ or ‘T’ button.

The power should switch off if its working correctly.

We found one the other day which hadn’t been installed long that wasn’t working.

Remember that the use of safety switches doesn’t mean you need to be less careful when around electricity.

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