The switchboard is where every circuit in a building starts, and it is often the oldest part of the installation. We regularly find ceramic fuses, cracked enclosures, missing labels and boards with no spare space in buildings that have otherwise been refurbished several times. Eclipse upgrades switchboards for commercial, industrial, strata and residential clients across Sydney.
Why switchboard condition matters
An outdated board is a safety risk and a practical limitation. Rewireable fuses do not offer the protection of modern circuit breakers, and older boards frequently have little or no RCD protection. RCDs are mandatory on new circuits, so any significant addition, such as an air conditioner or an EV charger, often triggers an upgrade anyway.
There is also the operational side. A board running near capacity causes nuisance tripping, loose connections overheat, and a poorly labelled board slows down every fault-finding visit. Our article on signs your switchboard needs upgrading covers the warning signs in more detail.
Older boards can also contain materials that need care. Some switchboards installed before the late 1980s have backing panels that may contain asbestos, which changes how the work must be done. We identify this at the inspection stage and plan the replacement accordingly, rather than discovering it halfway through a shutdown.
What we do
- Inspect the existing board, supply and main earth, and review current and planned loads
- Recommend the right scope: a full replacement, an additional board or targeted RCD upgrades
- Replace fuses with circuit breakers and add RCD protection
- Rebalance circuits across phases on three-phase boards
- Provide spare capacity for new equipment, air conditioning and EV chargers
- Coordinate with the network provider where supply changes are required
- Test every circuit and label the board clearly
Switchboard work means a shutdown. We agree the timing with you in advance and, for commercial sites and strata buildings, plan it to minimise disruption to tenants and residents.
What you receive
At completion you get a certificate of compliance, test results, a clear typed circuit schedule on the board and a summary of anything we found that needs attention elsewhere in the installation. For strata and property managers that record makes it easy to report back to owners.
Where it fits with our other trades
A switchboard upgrade is often the first step in a larger plan. Our HVAC technicians can confirm the supply needed for new plant, and our security team can allow for alarm panels, access control power supplies and CCTV recorders on dedicated circuits. After the upgrade, periodic thermal imaging is a simple way to confirm connections stay tight under load.
If your board is old, full or tripping, call (02) 9832 9871 or book an inspection and we will tell you what it actually needs.
What's included
- Inspection of board, supply and earthing
- Load review for current and planned equipment
- Circuit breakers and RCD protection
- Phase balancing on three-phase boards
- Typed circuit schedule
- Certificate of compliance and test results