When you moved into an older home that needed a certain amount of renovation, you may have set some money aside for upgrades, in particular, when it came to the central A/C. After all, you knew that the building only had a couple of wall-mounted units here or there and that this would hardly be sufficient for your family in the height of the summer. Yet while you are now getting ready to install that ducted system, you may also need to look more closely at the electrical installation in the property and spend some additional money on an upgrade. What do you need to look at?

Times Change

If this home was built many decades ago and is badly in need of renovation, then it may still have the original switchboard and fuse box in place. These may have been perfectly adequate when that property was designed and would have been fit for purpose in the old days, but they may not be able to cope with the latest style of air conditioning system and its power needs.

Going Nowhere Fast

If you were able to fit such a system with the old installation in place, then it would almost certainly overwhelm the current structure, and this would lead to failures, blown fuses, tripped breakers or worse. However, it is highly unlikely that you would get to that point, as any electrician worth their salt would refuse to initiate the work.

Start From the Beginning

Instead, you will need to completely renew the installation, and this will involve a lot more than just replacing the switchboard and fuse box. While you will certainly need to have a separate circuit for the air conditioning system, you should also redo the wiring and replace all the wall receptacles with up-to-date equipment. This will allow you to put in RCBOs and safety switches, especially in areas where water may be nearby. It'll help you to protect your family with the latest equipment, and each individual circuit will be protected from overload as much as possible.

Conforming With the Rules

When you bring in a qualified electrician, you will find that they need to conform with very strict regulations laid down by government. As an example, they may have to relocate the current fuse box because it is not acceptable anymore, and you may even have to introduce a different type of mains power cable if that is felt to be substandard.

Moving Forward

The moral is clear. Before you start, bring in an electrician and listen to their advice.