Field notes — 30 articles
Strata electrical: who's responsible for what
In Victorian strata, electrical responsibility divides at the lot boundary defined in the plan of subdivision. The main switchboard in a residential apartment block is usually common property. Common area lighting, shared infrastructure, and EV chargers all sit with the owners corporation, with implications for lot owners wanting to upgrade.
↗ Read articleThermographic inspection: what it finds and when to book one
Thermal imaging finds hot connections, overloaded conductors and failing contactors in commercial switchboards before they cause fires or outages. A proper thermographic survey is not the same as pointing an IR camera at a board.
Test and tag in Victoria: what the law actually requires
Test and tag is a legal requirement for most Victorian workplaces under the OHS Act and AS/NZS 3760. Intervals depend on the environment: 3 months on construction sites, 5 years in offices. Here's what applies to your premises.
LED downlight retrofits: what the job involves and what to watch for in older homes
Retrofitting halogen downlights to LED cuts around 80% of the lighting load. Here's what the work actually involves, why old halogen transformers can't just carry on, and what we look for in older homes before starting.
Power point placement: the questions to answer before your electrician visits
Moving a power point after the plasterboard is up costs four times what it costs to add one during a renovation. Here are the questions to work through before your electrician visits: kitchens, offices, bedrooms, and outdoor spaces.
Outdoor lighting: what's weatherproof and what's actually just water-resistant
IP44, IP54, IP65, IP66: which outdoor lighting IP rating is right for which location in a Melbourne home, and why getting it wrong costs more than getting it right first time.
Induction cooktop installation: what's involved electrically and why a sparky needs to do it
Induction cooktops draw 7–14kW and need a dedicated circuit sized to the appliance, commonly 32–50A. Here's what the electrical work involves and why getting it right before you buy matters.
Home battery storage: what the electrical installation actually involves
AC-coupled and DC-coupled battery systems each have different implications at the switchboard. Here's what the installation actually involves: changeover equipment, backup wiring, AS/NZS 5139, and Virtual Power Plant connections.
Solar inverter upgrades: when your old inverter is holding back your system
Most Melbourne solar systems installed between 2010 and 2016 have inverters at or past their design life. Here's what signs of underperformance look like, what AS/NZS 4777 compliance requires, and what a hybrid inverter adds.
EV charger load management: what it is and when you need it
Load management throttles your EV charger when household demand is high, keeping total draw within your supply limit. Here's how CT clamps, software-based control, and solar integration work in practice.
03References
The library.
Plain-English explainers on the standards, gear and licensing behind the work — the reference shelf we wish more jobs started from.
Three-phase vs single-phase power for Australian homes
Single-phase supply is the historical default for Australian homes: one active and a neutral, 230 V nominal, enough for around 80 A of total load. Three-phase brings three actives plus a neutral, 400 V line-to-line, and the headroom to run a 22 kW EV charger, big ducted AC, or a 15 kW solar system without overloading any one phase. Here's how to tell which you have, when an upgrade is worth it, and what it costs.
What's in your switchboard: a labelled walkthrough
A labelled walkthrough of a typical Australian residential and small-commercial switchboard. From the sealed network fuse on the way in, through the main switch, RCDs and MCBs, out to your circuits: what every component does and the signs an old board is overdue for replacement.
Electrical licence types in Australia: A-grade, restricted, REC, apprentice
Australian electrical licensing splits across roughly six categories: apprentice, restricted, A-grade electrician, supervisor, inspector, and the contractor business registration (REC in Victoria). Each one means a different scope of work, and only the contractor can actually pull a Certificate of Electrical Safety. Here's how to read what's on the swipe-card.
What CEC accreditation actually means for your solar installer
CEC accreditation is the Clean Energy Council's industry credential for the people who design and install grid-connected solar, off-grid solar, and battery systems in Australia. It sits on top of a base electrician's licence, not in place of one, and the federal STC rebate paperwork won't process without it.
04Cost guides
What jobs run.
Indicative ranges for common electrical jobs across Melbourne's east — informed by hundreds of recent quotes.
Power Point Installation Cost in Melbourne
$220 – $1,200Single power point pricing depends on whether you can branch off an existing circuit, the wall material, and whether the fitting is standard or USB-combo. Below are typical ranges for residential additions.
See guide →02Fault Finding & Repairs Cost in Melbourne
$220 – $1,500Most fault-finding visits are short, half an hour to two hours, and the price reflects time on-site rather than the complexity of the symptoms. Tracing intermittent faults takes longer.
See guide →03Emergency Electrician Callout Cost in Melbourne
$300 – $2,000Emergency callout pricing is the call-out fee plus the first hour, with parts and additional time billed on top. Most after-hours fault calls fall in the $300–$700 band; deeper rectification work is quoted on the spot before we proceed.
See guide →04Induction Cooktop Installation Cost in Melbourne
$650 – $2,400Induction cooktop pricing depends on whether you're replacing an existing induction unit or converting from gas, and on the existing switchboard's spare capacity. Below are typical ranges across Melbourne's east, with the factors that move the price.
See guide →05Recent work
On the tools.
A selection of recent jobs — switchboard upgrades, fit-outs, EV chargers, lighting.
Dream Palm Springs Transformation
A Stunning Home Awakening
Sublime Scandinavian Style
Understated Glamour Extension
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