Top 5 Electrical Hazards in Older Adelaide Homes

27 May

Older homes in Adelaide’s northern suburbs — especially those built before the 1980s — often carry hidden electrical hazards that can put your family and property at risk. In this post, I’ll walk you through the most common issues we find and how to fix them properly.

1. Outdated Wiring (Only Found in Older Homes)

In suburbs like Elizabeth, Salisbury, Smithfield, and parts of Gawler, we still find homes with:

Cotton-insulated cable
Rubber-sheathed wiring
No earthing or outdated circuit design

These types of wiring are brittle, unprotected, and often unsafe — especially under modern electrical loads.

⚠️ You won’t find this in newer suburbs like Munno Para West or Angle Vale. But if your home was built before the 1980s, it’s worth getting checked.

2. Overloaded Circuits and Power Points

Even in newer homes, we often see overloaded circuits caused by:

Too many devices on a single power point
Split-system air conditioners added without new circuits
Extensions running off existing kitchen or laundry loads

If your breakers trip constantly or sockets feel hot, it’s worth looking at circuit balancing or adding new ones.

3. No Safety Switches (RCBOs)

Still incredibly common — even in homes built up to the mid-2000s.
Many switchboards only have one RCD for the whole house or none at all.

Every circuit in your home should be protected by an RCBO, which covers:

Electric shock
Overload
Short circuits

We upgrade all switchboards with individual RCBO protection — no compromises.

4. Old or Overworked Switchboards

Whether you’re in an older home or a 90s brick veneer, we regularly see:

Burn marks inside the panel
Melted terminals
No spare room for extra circuits
No main earth connection

A modern switchboard keeps your home safer, allows for future add-ons (like EV chargers), and ensures compliance.

5. DIY Electrical Work

We come across dodgy wiring every week — usually from unlicensed DIY jobs, handymen, or past owners. Common issues include:

Wires twisted and taped
No junction boxes
Improper connections in roof spaces or walls
Unlabelled or miswired circuits

This type of work is illegal, voids insurance, and poses a major fire and shock risk. If something seems off, it’s best to get it checked properly.

🏠 Suburbs at Higher Risk of Outdated Wiring

Homes built before the 1980s are most likely to have cotton/rubber cabling, no RCDs, or DIY issues. We recommend inspections in:

Older Suburbs:

Elizabeth (South, East, Vale, Grove)
Salisbury (original blocks)
Smithfield
Davoren Park
Ingle Farm
Pooraka
Parafield Gardens (older sections)

Rural & Town Centres:

Gawler (central homes)
Kapunda
Freeling
Roseworthy
Wasleys
Barossa towns with 60s/70s brick builds

If your home is newer but showing signs like tripping breakers or buzzing from the switchboard, it’s still worth an inspection — you may be dealing with overload, loose connections, or cheap fittings that are now failing.

✅ How We Help

We specialise in electrical inspections, upgrades, and switchboard replacements — and we don’t cut corners. Every job is:

Logged in ServiceM8 for full transparency
Photographed before and after
Explained clearly in plain language
Certified to South Australian standards

We also help you understand what’s urgent, what’s not, and what can be planned ahead if needed.

📲 Ready to find out what’s hiding in your walls or switchboard?
👉 Book Online Now
📞 Or call Ben at Feltus Electrical: 0490 383 605

ben Feltus