Lighting and Powerpoints
Professional Lighting Installation By Licensed Electricians
Installing a light fitting is not like installing a new lamp, plug it in and voila! Many homeowners don’t actually realise that NSW legislation dictates that a licensed electrician is needed for light installations and powerpoint installations in their home. Not only will this ensure that your lights and power points will be installed in a professional manner, but they
will also be installed according to the AS 3000 standards (Australian Wiring Rules Standards).
It’s not just about installing new lights though. You might want to switch over to energy-saving LED lights, update old switches, repair faulty wiring that might be a fire hazard, or install a new power point because you’re shifting furniture around.
Regardless of the reason, you’ll need a professional electrician to provide you with up-to-date advice on what applies to your situation and your home. Waters Electrical and Solar are your lighting experts across the Northern Beaches and surrounding suburbs,
with more than 40 years of experience in the business. With highly skilled electricians, trusted suppliers, emergency electrical services and a lifetime workmanship guarantee, you can rest assured with us handling your lighting and electrical needs. Call us today at 0431 894 327.
Contact us today for the following Lighting and Powerpoint services:
- Garden lighting
- Ceiling fan installations
- Pool lighting
- Bathroom tastics
Info about Lighting and Powerpoints
Why you need an electrician for light installation
The job of the electrician isn’t just to turn a bulb. It’s to make sure that all the wiring that is hidden where you can’t see is actually professionally installed, of good quality and condition, and safe for your family.
Lights are things that we may take for granted as it seems as easy as opening a package, screwing it on and flipping a switch. However, configuring the wiring and the switches aren’t always straightforward tasks.
While we are happy to offer an estimate over the phone, without knowing all the details, we can give a more accurate quote in person. That way we can come to your home for a consultation, determine the type of lighting you wish to have installed, the possible locations, and examine your existing electrical system, before giving you a thorough breakdown of the options that you’ll have before you.
What electrical work can I legally do myself?
NSW legislation states that only licensed electricians can undertake any and all electrical installation work.
When it comes to lighting fittings, there are technically only three things that you as a non-electrician are allowed to “DIY”:
- Install low voltage garden lighting
- Change a light bulb in a lamp
- Replace your LED downlight
Anything else needs to be handled by a professional electrician.
And this law exists for good reason. More than 500 people find themselves in hospital every year in Australia due to electrical injuries, which might have been prevented if they had just called an electrician.
Sure, it might seem like a much cheaper option to try and do it yourself, but something as simple as a wrong connection can turn into an electrical fire or an electrical shock that you do not want to put your family at risk of.
And it isn’t actually cheaper, since you could easily be fined $22,000 for doing unlicensed electrical work, even in your own home. (Source)
Any electrical work done on your property should also come with a Certificate of Compliance, which only a licensed electrician can issue to you. Without this compliance certificate, you might find that your home no longer meets the criteria of your home insurance, and you might have issues selling your house in future.
(Source)
New lighting installation services
When you’re looking at a new install, you also have to think about planning the wiring that goes behind the walls and ceilings together with your electrician. You will also have to discuss if there is a need to cut a hole into a wall or ceiling to install the fitting. Here at Waters Electrical and Solar, with more than 40 years of experience in lighting installations, we will be able to advise you on all the options available to you according to the industry’s best practices, that will also suit your needs and fit your budget.
If you have any questions about installing new light fittings in your home, be sure to ask us by contacting the friendly team at Waters Electrical and Solar today at 0431 894 327. We are on call 24/7 for all your electrical needs.
Upgrading your light fittings
If your home is still using hungry halogen or flickering fluorescent lights, you might want to consider switching over to LED. LED lights have a much longer lifespan, they’re generally a higher quality lighting option, and they are incredibly energy efficient – LED lights can even save as much as 85% of your overall energy costs!
Nowadays, you can even get fancy lighting designs that look like old school filament bulbs, but really they’re just LED bulbs made to look like it. This means you can get the retro look but with the advanced energy savings.
If you’re making the switch to LED, some of your old dimmer switches may not work in line with this change, and this is something that the electrician will be able to point out and adjust accordingly. Any upgrades will also have to work with the rest of the home’s electrical system and be connected to your switchboard and safety switches, so make sure that you’ve discussed this with your electrician as well.
Repairs and maintenance of light fittings
Did you know that dust bunnies or debris on your light fittings can start a fire if they are exposed to a single spark? If there was one reason to keep your light fittings clean, it would be this!
Your preferred Northern Beaches electrician should be able to help you with cleaning and maintenance of all your light fittings.
However sometimes you might also find your lights flickering or dimming, and it might not get better even after changing light bulbs. Or you might experience a strange buzzing noise coming from your lights, or your circuit breaker keeps tripping whenever you flip a light switch. These lighting issues can be an indication of a much larger electrical issue, so you should definitely get your electrician on speed dial (0431 894 327) as soon as possible.
Sometimes you might need to have that fitting rewired, a faulty socket may need replacing, or it could even be an issue with your lighting systems. Here at Waters Electrical and Solar, we are well-versed in electrical fault finding, and pride ourselves on our comprehensive fault finding system that can quickly identify your problem and suggest appropriate solutions.
You should also get your electrician to conduct a routine inspection annually to ensure that there are no possible fire hazards such as faulty wiring or broken light fittings that could be dangerous to your family.
Other lighting options
The lighting options available years ago were the sun, fire, oil lamps, candles etc. Today, we have much more to choose from to light many areas of our homes and lives.
Whether it’s ambient lighting in your living room, or under cabinet lights in your kitchen so you can prepare food that’s worthy of Masterchef Australia, we’ve got you covered. With more than 40 years of experience in light installation and repair, with a huge range of products we install including – dimmers, downlights, chandeleirs, ceiling fans, oyster lights, outdoor wall lights, sensor lights and many more – we certainly are your one stop shop.
So whatever your preferred lighting choice, we can help make it a reality! Call Waters Electrical and Solar today at 0431 894 327.
Powerpoint installation
Together with your light fitting installation, new powerpoints may also be required. Your electrician will be able to work out with you where the best locations are and the additional wiring needed.
You may also need a new powerpoint if there is overloading happening, your current powerpoints are damaged, or if they are suddenly hot to the touch. Or, you might simply wish to upgrade from a single to double powerpoints, or to add some powerpoints with USB sockets.
Just like all other electrical work, please do not attempt to install a powerpoint on your own! There are dangerous live wires involved and you could be at great risk of electrocution or an electrical fire. Always make sure any powerpoint installation is handled by a fully licensed electrician.
Why Waters Electrical and Solar for your lighting needs
Our experienced electricians are also comprehensive lighting specialists who can best advise you on what options are available to you, what’s up to Australian Standard code, what’s more energy saving, what fulfills your lifestyle and functional needs – and all without bursting your wallet.
We work with only trusted suppliers so we can guarantee that we will only recommend premium, high quality products for your installation. You can also count on us for our professionalism, experience, and excellent customer service.
Most of all, we care about you as people, not just customers. That’s why we offer a free electrical safety check on every job we do, as well as a lifetime workmanship guarantee on all our electrical work. If you need an honest, reliable electrician who also offers hot water, solar, and data and internet services, then call us today at 0431 894 327 – we’re available 24/7 for you.