Tag: Electrical Installations

Posted on by

Electrical Rewiring for Your Home – House Rewiring Basics

Does your house need rewiring?

Many houses in and around Auckland are now well over half a century old. While that gives them character and a certain sense of style, it also makes them potentially hazardous to live in.

You may not be aware that many houses built in the 1940s and 1950s were wired with vulcanised industrial rubber, or VIR. Naturally, over time, the rubber breaks down. This causes the insulation to then become brittle and fall off, which can expose the house to a possible electrical wiring fire.

For some time owners of older homes have been warned by the relevant authorities to replace this old wiring, if their home still had it. Many people have heeded the warning, but there are still many houses which retain the original wiring and are therefore dangerous. Is yours among them?

If your property has been purchased in recent years, you may be blissfully unaware of the state of your electrical wiring. It may, of course, have been upgraded to modern TPS (tough plastic sheath cable), which is extremely long lasting. But, again, it may not.

The smart thing to do is check. If safety is not sufficient reason to have your wiring looked at, here’s another: Many insurance companies are now refusing to renew their cover on houses which have not been rewired. That alone tells you how serious the issue is.

However, the solution is not difficult. Give Hall Electrical a call and we’ll come and check out your wiring. We will even provide a full report on the state of your electrical wiring for your insurance company.
If we find that your house does need rewiring, we will give you a free quote that details all the necessary work and how much it is likely to cost.

If you decide to rewire your house, it usually takes two to three days. But here’s the good news: we won’t leave you without lights or power during that time. Plus your fridge and freezer will be quite safe while the power is off. We’ll make absolutely sure of it.

Posted on by

RightLight

RightLight is a programme championed by the NZ Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). The initiative is designed to help people learn about efficient lighting.

The website www.rightlight.co.nz provides lighting efficiency tips for the home and business. The site contains information on the following areas:

Home Environments: How to Save Money, Why Change, Choosing the Right Light

Choosing the right energy efficient light will become an easier task with knowledge the website provides in these areas;

    • Replacing existing bulbs; how to choose, bulbs & fittings, what watt?, which white?, where to buy, case study
    • Types of bulbs; compact fluorescent lamps, halogen spotlights, new generation halogen globe, linear fluorescent tubes, light emitting diodes, specialist halogen bulbs
    • Building or Renovating; design tips, virtual designer, room by room, lighting control systems, style gallery

Business Environments: Office, Industrial, Retail, Education

Each business environment has specific considerations in the following areas;

  • The right light level
  • Types of light
  • Lighting controls
  • Things you can do
  • Next steps

The Rightlight website has so much information so people might find it a little overwhelming. If less is more, then go straight for the quick tips page if you’re interested in business environments. If your focused on the home then head to the resources section tips page. Here are a few selected tips from the website you might find useful;

Quick Efficient Lighting Tips for Business

  • Install occupancy sensors in office and car parks
  • Use table lamps or task lighting for desks/work areas vs entire room lighting
  • Install day light sensors to dim lights when not required in full

Quick Efficient Lighting Tips for the Home

  • Turn lights off (the simplest way)
  • Use CFLs (compact fluorescent lamp)
  • Light-coloured walls
  • Task specific lights (one solution doesn’t work in all areas)
  • Low watt lamps in bedroom
  • Additional conveniently located light switches
  • Outdoor security lights on sensors

Need an Electrician for your Efficient Lighting Requirements?

Hall Electrical can assist you with your electrical repair, faults, design, installation and maintenance. Call us on 09 379 9198

Posted on by

Home Rewire: What should I consider when I have to get my house rewired?

We regularly rewire houses, usually a couple of homes a week, so we know the problems that can occur and what it takes to get everything right.

I have tried to answer the most frequently asked questions:

Do we have to move out?
No. Power will be off for parts of the day or days but it won’t cause major problems. We never leave fridges or freezers off and try to cause as little disruption as possible.

Do we have to stay home?
No. We can be trusted to be in your home if you go out .We will even make sure the cat stays inside if that is what you want.

All our team has Police Security Clearance leaving you confident we won’t nosey around or touch things.

How long will it take to rewire?
Usually in a normal sized home it takes one to one and a half days to rewire the lights and the same to rewire the power.

Two storey homes take a little longer as they can be tricky.

Do I need to buy torches?
No. We make sure before we leave at the end of each day that the lights and power are going again. You will hardly know we have been there.

Do you have to make holes?
Sometimes but we really try to avoid it. Occasionally we just can’t get the new wiring in without making holes but we will tell you first and give you all the options.

Can we use our kitchen?
Yes, we always make sure you are fully functional to cook dinner every night.

Learn more about our House Rewiring Service

Posted on by

How much does an electrician charge / cost?

This is a question we are regularly asked when people phone us.
An answer I like is: How much will it cost you if you choose a bad one.


FACTS

  • Electrician’s hourly charge out rates vary between $40.00 and $90.00 per hour + gst (in Auckland).
  • Apprentice electricians are around $25 to $40 per hour + gst depending how far through their apprenticeship they are or how competent they are at the task they are doing. Quite often it is cheaper for you to have a tradesman and “boy” as they can achieve more in a quicker time.
  • Some companies have a minimum charge of between $75.00 and $120.00 + gst.

Electricity can kill you if done wrong. You only have loved ones and friends in your home so why would you risk using an electrician just because he or she is the cheapest? Surely you would pick one that has been recommended ** to you by a friend or comes with the qualifications and backing of a reputable company that has the resources, knowledge and experience to give you what you pay for. At a fair and reasonable price.

If the difference in hourly rates is $10.00 then the cheaper electrician only has to sit under your house for 15 minutes or not be confident in what they are doing so it takes them longer to carry out the job and you are paying the same price.

As in everything “you get what you pay for”.

Our electricians are master electricians. That means they carry the $10,000.00 guarantee from The Electrical Contractors Association that the work will be done correctly and to the regulations.

All our electricians regularly attend refresher and first aid courses and are highly competent in what they do. They also go to seminars and display shows to keep up with the latest things on the market so they can advise you on what is new and cool.

All our vans carry the correct testing equipment and parts required for most jobs.

I don’t go to the cheapest doctor or the cheapest mechanic for obvious reasons. I hope this helps you when you come to choose your electrical professional.

Check out what our clients say about us throughout our website.

Book an Electrical Repair | Free Electrical Proposal and Quote | Free Electrical Services Audit and Proposal | Free Brochure

** Check out www.nocowboys.co.nz and type Hall Electrical Services in the search box on the left hand side and see how customers have rated us.

Posted on by

Replace Double Adaptors & Multiboxes by Adding More Power Points

WARNING = DOUBLE ADAPTORS – MULTIBOXES

I go into homes all the time and see multiboxes running multiple appliances and double adapters plugged into each other and then plugged into 1 power point.

Quite often there are extension cords running off through doorways (or secured around the door frame using household pins) into other rooms with another multibox plugged in. This is a recipe for disaster.

When too many things are plugged into one outlet you start overloading the whole electrical system.

Overloading and loose connections are two major causes of electrical fires in New Zealand. The more connections there are between the switchboard and the appliance the more chance of overheating and then catching fire.

You only have your loved ones and friends in your home so why risk it.

The solution:

  • Swap that single power point for a double or quad power point.
  • Install another power point where you need one and eliminate the extension cord.
  • Have an electrician check to see the fuses or circuit breakers are rated to do there correct job.
  • Balance electrical loads so not too much is on one circuit
  • If you use an extension cord don’t use it rolled up as this causes overheating as well