The device that stops an electric shock from becoming a fatality. We install, upgrade, and test safety switches (RCDs) for homes and businesses across Sydney. Licensed electricians, fixed price, same-day available.
Verify our NSW Contractors Licence 493243C on the official NSW Trades register.
A safety switch, also called an RCD (Residual Current Device), monitors the flow of electricity through a circuit and cuts power in milliseconds if it detects current leaking to earth. That leakage is what causes a potentially fatal electric shock. A safety switch responds fast enough to cut the circuit before a dangerous level of current can pass through a person.
A circuit breaker protects your wiring from overload and short circuits. It does not protect you from electric shock. An RCD does. You need both. Many older Sydney homes have circuit breakers but no RCDs, which means the wiring is protected but the occupants are not.
NSW regulations have required RCDs on power circuits in new homes since 2000 and on all circuits (including lighting) in homes built under the 2023 National Construction Code. If your switchboard was installed before 2000, there is a good chance you have no RCD protection at all.
We install RCDs on individual circuits or upgrade your switchboard to include RCD protection across all circuits. We issue a CCEW for notifiable work and are licensed under Contractors Lic 493243C.
Safety switch installation is one of the most effective single changes you can make to the electrical safety of your home. We can usually complete it in a single visit.
A circuit breaker (MCB) responds to overcurrent and short circuits, protecting the wiring. An RCD monitors the balance of current going out and returning through the circuit and trips if it detects a discrepancy, which indicates leakage. They serve different purposes. A switchboard should have both. Combined RCBO devices combine both functions in a single unit.
AS/NZS 3000 classifies RCDs by where they are installed. A Type 1 (switchboard-mounted) protects all circuits on that switchboard section. A Type 2 (socket-outlet RCD) protects a single power point and anything plugged into it. A Type 3 (portable RCD, lead-style) is used as temporary protection, typically on construction sites. We install Type 1 switchboard RCDs for permanent residential protection.
Every RCD has a test button. Pressing it simulates a fault and should trip the circuit within the specified time. You should test your safety switches every three months. If a switch does not trip when tested, it is faulty and should be replaced immediately. We test all RCDs when we install or service a switchboard.
Nuisance tripping is when an RCD activates without an obvious fault. Causes include degraded cable insulation leaking small amounts of current to earth, fluorescent or LED lighting with capacitive leakage, or old appliances with deteriorated insulation. We test each circuit to identify the source. Sometimes it indicates a real fault requiring attention.
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Since 2000, NSW regulations have required RCDs on all power circuits in new residential construction. From 2023, the National Construction Code requires RCDs on all circuits in new homes. Existing homes are not automatically required to upgrade, but NSW Fair Trading strongly recommends RCD protection on all circuits. Rental properties are subject to additional obligations under NSW tenancy legislation.
A circuit breaker protects your wiring from overload and short circuits. It trips when too much current flows, preventing cable damage and fire. A safety switch (RCD) protects people from electric shock by detecting current leaking to earth and cutting the circuit in milliseconds. They serve different purposes. A modern switchboard should have both. If your switchboard only has circuit breakers, contact us.
A safety switch trips when it detects current leaking to earth, which is exactly what it should do. If it trips repeatedly, there is a fault on that circuit: degraded cable insulation, a faulty appliance, or moisture in a fitting or power point. We test the circuit to find the source. Do not simply keep resetting a tripping RCD.
If an RCD will not reset after tripping, the fault that caused the trip is still present on the circuit. Unplug all appliances from that circuit, then try resetting. If it holds, plug appliances back in one at a time to identify the faulty one. If it still will not hold with nothing connected, call us as there is a wiring fault on the circuit.
AS/NZS 3000 and general electrical safety guidance recommend testing RCDs every three months using the test button on the device. Press the button and confirm the circuit trips and power cuts off. If it does not, the device is faulty and should be replaced. We test all safety switches when we carry out switchboard work.
Under the 2023 National Construction Code, all circuits in new homes must have RCD protection, including lighting. Older homes are typically not required to retrofit this immediately unless other work is being carried out. However, adding RCD protection to lighting circuits significantly improves safety. We can add lighting circuit RCD protection as part of any switchboard service.
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