Your switchboard is the heart of your home’s electrical system — and in thousands of Melbourne homes, it’s decades out of date. If your board still runs ceramic fuses, or lacks safety switches on every circuit, a switchboard upgrade is one of the most important safety investments you can make. Lion Heart Electrical upgrades switchboards across Melbourne: family-owned, A-Grade licensed, and certified with a COES on completion.
Why Old Switchboards Are a Real Risk
Older fuse boards were designed for a different era — a few lights, a stove, maybe a heater. Today’s homes run air conditioning, induction cooking, EV chargers and home offices through infrastructure never meant to carry that load. The dangers are specific: rewireable fuses that can’t protect against electric shock, deteriorated connections that overheat behind the panel, and no safety switches to cut power when a fault occurs. Safety switches (RCDs) disconnect a faulty circuit in milliseconds — the difference between a tripped switch and a tragedy.
Many older Melbourne switchboards also sit on asbestos backing panels. Disturbing them safely requires proper procedures — another reason this is work for a licensed professional, not a handyman.
The Gateway to Everything Else
A modern switchboard isn’t just about fixing the past — it’s the foundation for everything you might add next. Solar systems, home batteries, EV chargers and modern kitchens all demand switchboard capacity and contemporary protection. Because battery and solar installations are our specialty, we design switchboard upgrades with those upgrades in mind: space for future circuits, correctly rated protection, and a board that won’t need touching again when your plans grow.
Done Properly, Certified Properly
We start with an honest assessment — if your board only needs minor work, we’ll say so. When an upgrade is warranted, we replace the board with modern circuit breakers and safety switches on every circuit, label everything clearly, handle any mains coordination with your distributor, and finish with a Certificate of Electrical Safety. Half a day to a day for most homes, minimal disruption, and a switchboard your home can rely on for decades.
Signs Your Switchboard Needs Upgrading
- Ceramic fuses or rewireable fuse wire instead of circuit breakers
- No safety switches (RCDs), or safety switches on only some circuits
- Breakers that trip frequently, or lights that flicker under load
- Signs of overheating — buzzing, burning smells, or scorch marks
- You're adding a big new load: EV charger, battery, air conditioning, electric cooking
- Asbestos backing panel (common in Melbourne homes wired before the 1980s)
What's Included in a Switchboard Upgrade
- Full assessment of your existing board, mains and earthing
- A new switchboard with circuit breakers and safety switches (RCDs) on every circuit
- Clear, professional labelling of every circuit
- Safe removal and disposal of old equipment, including asbestos panel handling where required
- Coordination with your electricity distributor if mains work is needed
- Certificate of Electrical Safety (COES) on completion
Why Choose Lion Heart Electrical
We're a family-owned and operated Melbourne business. You deal directly with the A-Grade licensed electrician doing the work — honest advice, a clear quote, and workmanship we're proud to put our name on.
- Registered Electrical Contractor (Victoria). Fully licensed A-Grade electrician, registered with Energy Safe Victoria. REC-36658.
- CEC Accredited. Clean Energy Council accredited for battery storage and solar installations.
- Fully Insured. Full public liability insurance and workers' compensation cover on every job.
- Certificate of Electrical Safety. A COES is supplied with all applicable electrical work, as required in Victoria.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a switchboard upgrade cost in Melbourne?
It depends on the size of the board, the condition of your wiring and whether the mains need work — most homes fall within a fairly predictable range, and we'll give you a fixed free quote after seeing your board. Send us a photo to speed things up.
Are old ceramic fuses actually dangerous?
They're a genuine risk. Ceramic fuses provide no protection against electric shock, can be rewired with the wrong fuse wire, and boards of that era commonly hide deteriorated connections. Modern safety switches disconnect power in milliseconds when a fault is detected — they save lives.
Do I need a switchboard upgrade before installing solar, a battery or an EV charger?
Often, yes. These systems add significant load and require modern protection, and many older boards have no physical space left. We assess this as part of any solar, battery or EV charger quote — and doing the upgrade at the same time is usually the most cost-effective path.
How long does a switchboard upgrade take?
Most residential upgrades are completed in half a day to a day, with power off for only part of that time. We'll confirm the timing in your quote and keep disruption to a minimum.