Not a lot of thought is given to the humble switchboard, but without the solid integrity of this seemingly innocuous structure, your electrical boards could end up in all sorts of trouble.
We recently attended a job site that we were very familiar with, as we had sadly watched the switchboard degrade over several years. We had suggested on multiple occasions that the client invest in replacing the switchboard but for various reasons, they chose to put off this preventative maintenance task.
After two burnouts caused by water heating the circuit breakers and shorting out the system (and multiple callouts to repair these issues) the client eventually decided it was time to undertake a switchboard changeover.
On the surface, the difference between the old and the new switchboard seems only cosmetic. However, the toll that wear and tear can take on a structure like this is night and day, as far as performance goes.
Take a look at your switchboard and see if you can spot any of these tell-tale signs that your switchboard might be due for a change over.
Does your switchboard have rust?
As you can see from the pictures, this switchboard had rust all along the side of the doors and hinges. But more sinister, is the rust on the inside of the unit.
You can even see that the rust has eaten through the metal structure and is bowing the paintwork on the inside showing but the integrity of the housing is decaying, and potentially allowing water to get in.
Does the metal door of your switchboard bow out?
As you can see from these pictures, with time and exposure to the elements the door to the switchboard is bowing out, which means there is no longer a weatherproof seal at the top of the door. This bowing allows water to run straight into the switchboard which can be catastrophic where electricity is involved.
Does your switchboard keep shorting out?
This may not be something you can see, but you will certainly know all about it when your system starts shorting out. Water getting into the circuit breakers is a sure-fire way to spend a lot of money on unnecessary callouts.
If your switchboard is looking a bit worse for wear, it might be time to chat to the team at Chatfield OzCool about a switchboard changeover.
The team at Chatfield OzCool are also available to assist with cooling and refrigeration equipment service and repairs, and we are happy to answer any questions you may have.
If would like to find out how we could help you, please give the team at Chatfield OzCool a call on 1300 361 186.