Moving a meter board to the front of the house before solar
The new board was prepared a day ahead and finished when Ergon came out.
See the case study ↗SWITCHBOARD UPGRADES · TOWNSVILLE & CAIRNS
Switchboard upgrades
Your switchboard distributes the power through your home. Keeping it up to code protects the people in it, and protects the house if something goes wrong.
Call 0433 946 639
Lic 88209 · ARC AU59000 · Blue Card team · free quotes
Rated 4.9 out of 5 after more than 700 Google reviews.
These are the ones about everyday household jobs. Repairs, lights, fans and power points.
ELECTRICAL REPAIRS★★★★★
“They are the only people I deal with for my electric issues because of their total professionalism.”
HOUSEHOLD ELECTRICAL★★★★★
“Very pleased. Find them to be prompt and friendly and efficient. Will definitely stay with them for all my electrical needs.”
ELECTRICAL WORK AT HOME★★★★★
“Making Mountain Man my go-to for all future electrical work.”
BEFORE YOU BOOK ANYONE
How to tell a switchboard quote is the right one.
A board upgrade is easy to under-quote and hard to judge once the cover is back on. None of that is on you. Before you book anyone, including us, these are the things worth asking for.
A licence number you can check
Every electrical contractor in Queensland has one, on the public register. Ask for it before anyone opens your board.
A quote that says what the new board includes
Circuit breakers or fuses, how many safety switches, whether the meter panel is touched, and what happens if the wiring behind it is not what anyone expected.
Who deals with the power company
A board change usually needs Ergon to disconnect and reconnect. Ask who books it and who is there when they come.
A board sized for what you are about to add
Air conditioning, an induction cooktop, solar or a pool pump each add load. Ask whether the new board allows for it or only replaces what is there.
A certificate of test at the end
Queensland requires installation work to be tested and a certificate issued. Ask for yours.
What is covered after the install
Ask how long the workmanship is covered for, and the products, in years.
Mountain Man Electrical, Townsville and Cairns
What you get from us on a board upgrade.
The same six, in the same order.
- 01
Licence 88209, on the quote and on the register
Electrical Contractor Licence 88209 is on every quote, and the electricians hold Blue Cards.
- 02
The board, itemised
The quote lists the breakers, a safety switch on every circuit, and what is and is not included. If the wiring behind the board is not what we expected, we stop and agree the change with you before going on.
- 03
Ergon booked by us
We arrange the Ergon disconnection and reconnection and the paperwork, and we are on site when they come. You deal with one team, not three.
- 04
Sized for the load you are about to add
We ask what is coming, air conditioning, solar, a pool or a spa pump, and size the new board for it so you are not back here in a year.
- 05
Tested, certificate in your hand
The board is tested when it is finished and you get the certificate of test for your records.
- 06
Workmanship and products covered
Our warranty covers the labour and most of the products we supply. How long it runs depends on the product, and you are told before work starts.
Most boards in older homes were never sized for how we live now.
Air conditioning, induction cooktops, solar and pool pumps all landed on boards designed decades before any of it existed.
Send us a photo of your board and we will tell you honestly whether it needs replacing, whether a repair will do, or whether it is fine as it is.
No power, a burning smell or a board that keeps tripping?
Skip the form and call. We can often tell you what to do over the phone. Emergency call-outs are for existing customers.
Call 0433 946 639A new board, sized for the house
Old fuses replaced with circuit breakers, and a safety switch on every circuit. Sized for the load you have now and the load you are about to add.
Enquire about this job ↗Safety switches on every circuit
A new switchboard must have a safety switch on every circuit under the Wiring Rules. If your board has one, or none, an upgrade covers every circuit.
Enquire about this job ↗Ready for solar or air conditioning
If you are adding ducted air conditioning, solar, a pool or a spa pump, we size the new board for it so you are not back here in a year.
Enquire about this job ↗RECENT JOBS
Jobs like yours.
Real Mountain Man jobs. Each one shows what the owner asked for and what we did.
Upgrading the mains in a West End Queenslander before solar
6mm mains replaced with 16mm, run up from under the house and hidden in the wall.
See the case study ↗New underground power to a backyard shed in Aitkenvale
The overhead line came down and a new shed board went in.
See the case study ↗GUIDES
Read up before you book.
From your enquiry to the work done.
- 01
Tell us what needs doing
Pick the job and your suburb, then describe it and leave your contact details. A photo of the board or the fitting helps.
- 02
We talk it through and quote
We call or message to confirm what is involved. Some jobs need a look first before we can price them.
- 03
Book a time
You agree the work and an arrival window with the team. We text when we are on the way.
- 04
The work, tested and followed up
The job is done, tested and certified, and we call afterwards to check how it went.
WHERE WE DO IT
Townsville and Cairns.
Available in Townsville and Cairns. Pick your city on the enquiry.
Townsville
- Alligator Creek
- Annandale
- Belgian Gardens
- Castle Hill
- Condon
- Cranbrook
- Elliot Springs
- Garbutt
- Gulliver
- Hermit Park
- Hyde Park
- Idalia
- Kelso
- Kirwan
- Mount Louisa
- Mundingburra
- Mysterton
- Nome
- Rosslea
- Rowes Bay
- South Townsville
- Vincent
- West End · home base
Cairns
- Cairns City
- Bungalow
- Parramatta Park
- Manunda
- Westcourt
- Earlville
- Mooroobool
- Whitfield
- Edge Hill
- Freshwater
- Brinsmead
- Redlynch
- Smithfield
- Trinity Beach · home base
- Kewarra Beach
- Clifton Beach
- Palm Cove
- Yorkeys Knob
- Machans Beach
- Woree
- White Rock
- Bentley Park
- Edmonton
- Gordonvale
Not on the list? Add your suburb to the enquiry and we will tell you straight away whether we cover it.
Questions before you book.
How do I know if my switchboard is due for an upgrade?
Any one of these is worth a look: it looks old and deteriorated; the mounting panel is asbestos; it still has porcelain fuses; the board sits in a timber enclosure; fewer than two safety switches; you have added load, or the board is full. Several together usually means a replacement rather than a repair. Send us a photo of the board and we will tell you which.
How much does a switchboard upgrade cost in Townsville?
It depends on the size of the board and the condition of the wiring behind it. Send us a photo of the board, and you get a written price before any work starts.
How long does it take?
Most residential switchboard upgrades are done in a day, with a short power outage while we swap the board over. We book the Ergon disconnection so you do not have to.
Do I legally need safety switches?
For an existing home, Queensland law requires a safety switch on the power point circuits when the home is sold or rented. Any new switchboard must have one on every circuit. If your board has one, or none, an upgrade brings every circuit up to that standard.
Can you upgrade my board so I can add air conditioning or solar?
Yes. If you are adding load like ducted air conditioning, solar, or a pool pump, we size the new board for it so you are not back at square one in a year.