A homeowner's guide to safety switches and smoke alarms
Two small pieces of kit do most of the work of keeping a home safe. Here is what every NSW household should know about them.
Safety switches and smoke alarms are cheap, quick to fit, and between them cover the two things most likely to hurt someone in a home: electric shock and fire. If you are not sure yours are up to scratch, they are worth a look.
Safety switches (RCDs)
A safety switch cuts power in a fraction of a second when it detects electricity leaking to earth, the situation where someone is being shocked. It is different from a circuit breaker, which protects the wiring, not you.
Ideally your home has RCD protection across its circuits, not just one shared switch. Test them every few months by pressing the test button. The switch should trip. If it does not, or you do not have them, get them sorted.
Smoke alarms
NSW law requires working smoke alarms on every storey of a home. Photoelectric alarms are recommended as they respond well to the smouldering fires common in homes. Alarms have a lifespan. Most need replacing about every ten years, and the date is stamped on the unit.
Hard-wired, interconnected alarms are the gold standard: when one detects smoke they all sound, so you get warning wherever you are in the house. That is a straightforward upgrade for an electrician.
A quick home safety check
If you have got older ceramic fuses, no safety switches, or smoke alarms you cannot remember replacing, those are the three to act on. We can check the lot in one visit and tell you honestly what needs doing and what is fine as is.
Common questions
How often should I test my safety switch?
Press the test button roughly every three months. It should trip and cut the power immediately. If nothing happens, call an electrician.
Are hard-wired smoke alarms worth it?
Yes, especially interconnected ones, so they all sound together. They remove the flat-battery problem and give earlier warning across the whole home.
Talk to a licensed local electrician, obligation-free, same-day replies Mon–Fri.