When you are purchasing a home, it goes without saying that you want to be sure the house is structurally sound, and that there are no lurking problems that will surface later and burn a hole in your pocket. It’s why many people get a building inspection and pest inspection done before they sign on the dotted line. While all of this sounds good, what most people aren’t aware of is that they can and should get an energy audit done too.

An electrical audit analyses the major components of the house structure; this includes:

In short, it gives you a very detailed picture about how the buildings works as a whole. For a couple of hundred dollars, you can get an energy audit done from a professional. This audit can save you a significant amount of money in the long term; it identifies the features in the house that require correction to enhance the energy-efficiency. At times, the energy audit results can play a pivotal role in your decision of whether you should invest in a particular property or not.

If you find that a house lacks in energy efficiency, but you still want to buy it, the audit results can become a bargaining tool; it may help you get the seller fix the problem, or you may be able to get the property at a much lower price. No matter which way you look at it; getting an electrical audit is a very good idea. In addition to the ones mentioned above, there are a number of other benefits to getting an electrical audit done, such as:

The simple fact is that spaces that are energy-efficient are also more comfortable to live in. Energy-efficiency upgrades will ensure that the heat will be evenly distributed across the home and your home will be warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

If the indoor air quality in your home is poor, it can cause allergies as well as other health problems. When you choose to get an electrical audit done, the professionals that are conducting the audit, carefully analyse the ventilation in your home and also recommend what can be done to improve the indoor air quality.

Energy efficiency may seem like an isolated aspect in the sustainability of your home. But when discrepancies in the building structure come to the fore during an energy audit, it’s indicative of the fact that many features are constructed poorly and that they will fail before their time. Once you have the audit results, you will get a clearer idea about what will have to do be done to improve the building envelope as a whole.

When you are hiring the services of an electrical/energy auditor, you should keep in view the fact that not every one of them uses the tools and follows the required processes while the audit is being conducted. Ideally, the auditor should use tools such as a duct blower, an infrared camera as well as a blower door.

The blower door is essentially a fan that has to be mounted on the doorframe. It efficiently depressurises & pressurises the home to measure what the air leakage is like. The duct blower performs the same function, but is attached to the ducting in the house. The infrared camera helps detect air leakage in the walls and the heat losses too.

For more information about electrical audits and the best electrical solutions, call Allround Electrical at 1300 169 263. You can also drop us a line via email or by filling out this contact form.

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It is estimated that thousands of electric shock accidents take place each year, of which some are fatal ones. Aside from this, there are incidents of electrical fires caused by poorly-installed or ill-maintained wiring. It’s important to understand that most of these fires and accidents are avoidable. There are some simple things you can do to prevent an electrical fire from erupting on your property, including:

Never try to force plugs into the outlets and don’t remove the third prong which is the grounding pin, to fit it a plug into an outlet with 2 prongs. Do not plug in too many appliances into a multi-plug outlet.

Check whether there are any loose-fitting plugs as these can be a fire/shock hazard. If you notice that any of the wall plates are broken/missing, replace them without delay. So that the components and wiring aren’t exposed. If you have very young kids in your home, make sure that you cover all used outlets.

Check the cords for fraying or cracks. Pay special attention to ones that are placed in any high traffic areas or under rugs and carpets.

Make sure that the wattage of the bulbs is compatible with the fixture requirements. If you find any bulbs with a higher-than-recommended wattage rating, replace them immediately. It’s also important to ensure they don’t overheat and that they are screwed-in securely.

These should never be used on a permanent basis. Use ones that have safety enclosures to protect kids from burn injuries and shock.

There should be GFCIs installed in the kitchen, bathrooms, garage, basement and various other indoor and outdoor outlets in your home. Test these on a monthly basis to ensure they are working as required.

Only older properties have fuse boxes and these don’t have the capacity to withstand the heavy electrical loads required by modern-day equipment and appliances. It’s far better to get these older systems evaluated by a skilled electrician and replace them with modern circuit breakers.

Faulty or old wiring is one of the commonest causes of residential electrical fires in Australia. Get these checked periodically for loose connections, loose wall fixtures or wall receptacles. If you hear any hissing, sizzling or popping sounds behind walls or from sockets, call in your local electrician without delay to get these installations inspected and replaced. If you find that any switches or electrical fixtures are hot to the touch, get those checked as well. Flickering light bulbs are another indication of problems in the electrical wiring as well and it’s best to get a thorough check conducted.

If you find that a specific circuit breaker trips repeatedly, or you experience shock when you touch it, you should unplug it immediately and get it replaced or repaired. Check for damage or cracks in the connectors and wiring and install surge protectors to protect all your expensive electronics.

When you upgrade your home, make additions or add extensions like extra rooms or an extra storey etc., or even add a large number of new equipment or electrical appliances to your home, that can overburden the existing electrical installations. At this point you would have to increase the service capacity of your home’s electrical system.

We are a company that has been operating in this space for a number of years and have the skill, knowledge as well as the resources to install, maintain and upgrade all types of electrical installations on your residential or commercial premises. For more information, contact the Allround Electrical team at this number – 1300 169 263. Alternatively, you can write to us at our email address.

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