by Dean Mance | Feb 3, 2015 | Uncategorized
If a property has had the power disconnected for more than 6 months, TasNetworks require a safety inspection to be carried out before they will reconnect.
This little known requirement often comes as a surprise to the new occupants moving into a property that has been vacant for a while.
Everything is arranged, keys handed over, furniture moved. And then they phone TasNetworks to get the power on.
The rule is strictly enforced. No power reconnection after 6 months without a safety inspection by a licenced electrical contractor.
The reasoning is, if a property has been disconnected for so long, a safety check is required to make sure someone hasn’t pulled down a couple of light fittings and left bare wires hanging out of the ceiling.
Or maybe the installation has deteriorated with no one to keep an eye on it.
Most of the safety checks we do are emergency jobs done at short notice as nobody realised a check would be required.
Occasionally a client will spend a night or two in their new home without power. If the check was done on a Friday afternoon, maybe their power won’t be connected until the next Monday.
The required safety checks are quite comprehensive. They ensure that the electrical system is safe to be energised. Any faults found during the testing must be fixed before power can be restored.
If you are moving into a property that has been disconnected for more than 6 months, be aware that a safety check will be required and make sure you allow for that in your plans.
For 6 month electrical safety inspections in the Launceston area please phone Mance Electrical on 6331 4711.
by Dean Mance | Oct 28, 2014 | Common Repairs, Dodgy Installations
This time of year we start to get clients bringing their caravans and campervans in for electrical checks.
Quite often they have purchased the caravan on the mainland and want to change it to Tasmanian registration. Before it can be registered they must have mechanical, gas and electrical checks for safety and compliance.
The electrical requirements for caravans are quite strict and include things like the need for “double pole” power points and light switches, stranded wiring, correct earthing and a safety switch.
Most newer vans have no problem meeting these requirements, however older vans usually need some work done before they can be registered.
A thorough check should take about an hour, if the caravan electrical installation is in good condition, including some paperwork to apply for a compliance sticker, which you need to display to be able to connect to powered sites in Tasmania.
The compliance sticker usually takes a few days to arrive so we also provide a letter of certification that can be taken to the motor registry inspection, so you can complete the registration process without having to wait for the sticker.
Occasionally we see an older van that may have been purchased quite cheaply, but requires a substantial investment to upgrade the electrical system to allow for registration. These old vans rarely turn out to be the bargain they may have first seemed.
If you buy an old van with mainland registration you should be aware that it could cost you several hundred dollars, or even more, for electrical checks and work to get the van in a roadworthy state so it can be registered in Tasmania.
For further advice or to arrange a caravan electrical inspection in a hurry phone Mance Electrical on 6331 4711.
by Dean Mance | Jun 26, 2013 | Dodgy Installations, Keep Your Family Safe, Save Money
Buying a new home or rental property is a major investment and most people do a fair amount of research before they make their decision.
However we are always quite surprised at how many clients come to us after they have made a purchase, for a wiring inspection and check of the electrical installation.
This seems a little backwards to us. If there were problems in the electrical wiring of a property you were considering buying, surely it would be better to know before you sign the contract, rather than after?
One of our clients purchased a residential investment property and then asked us to do a wiring inspection for them. We had a look and found the wiring was old rubber cable in very poor condition. It was a fire hazard and needed an urgent rewire, at a cost of around $6,000.
This wasn’t in their budget and totally threw out their careful projections on rental returns and costs.
Had they been prepared to spend $150 on a pre-purchase electrical inspection, with a written report, we could have warned them of the problems.
They would have had the choice to keep looking for another property or renegotiate the price based on the cost of repairs required.
This doesn’t just apply to old properties. Even new properties can have cheap, dodgy or downright dangerous electrical installations, due to poor workmanship and cutting corners to save costs.
If you are seriously considering a particular property you should also consider getting an inspection and electrical condition report. Spending a few bucks first could save you thousands later on.
Like this article on our Facebook page and leave us a comment below.
