Electrical Defect Notice Sydney

An electrical defect notice is a formal notification issued by an electrical safety authority or inspector indicating that an electrical installation or equipment does not comply with the relevant safety standards and regulations.

This notification specifies electrical defects or non-compliant electrical installations and the rectification required to ensure consumer safety and electrical fire compliance.

Electrical safety has to be maintained properly in Australia, whether it concerns houses or any business entity, as damaged wiring can result in very serious electrical fires and injuries. 

Essentially, property owners or tenants should understand why electrical defect notices are necessary. An electrical defect notice is issued to notify owners of electrical defects that should be rectified promptly by an authorised licensed professional.

Don’t just hire a regular electrician with no relevant power authority to handle your emergency electrical concerns. Instead, hire a licensed and experienced electrician at the Local Electrician Sydney especially when you receive an electrical defect notice. 

Work with our level 2 electricians to ensure that your electrical connections comply with the safety standards of Ausgrid, Essential Energy, and Endeavour Energy.

Call us at 02 9119 1344 and receive a FREE electrical inspection

Why are electrical defect notices issued?

The property owner receives an electrical defect notice once the inspector determines the electrical installation does not comply with Australian Standards for Electrical Safety. If you receive a defect notice in Sydney, the document will state the exact reasons it has been issued.

According to the NSW Building Commissioner, David Chandler, nearly 70 per cent of buildings and developments in New South Wales have defects, including faulty wiring.

Call the Local Electricians Sydney today on 02 9119 1344  when you receive an electrical defect notice.

Common reasons why people get notices

Faulty equipment: Worn-out equipment, like shorting wires and fuses that keep failing, together with malfunctioning appliances, can bring about electrical hazards and probable fires.

Nine electrical fatalities from eight incidents have been recorded in Australia and New Zealand in the 2021‐22 year. This results in 0.29 deaths per million population which is 0.26 dmp higher than the same this time last year, involving faulty consumer appliances and equipment.

Out-of-date switchboard: An obsolete switchboard would not be capable of managing the demands within your home’s electrical setup. Overloading will cause overheating and electrical faults in the electrical supply, leading to switchboard failure.

Older styles of switchboards generally lack the standard safety features which have been built into more up-to-date designs and become standard today.

Low-hanging overhead cables: Overhead power lines should be installed at certain heights to avoid causing safety risks for both members of the public and property. Low-hanging overhead cables pose risks to residents and their vehicles and could cause power supply disruptions.

Attachment point issues: This is the point at which the electrical connection to your property’s wiring is created with the network. Poor or faulty wiring attachment may result in high electrical risks.

Unauthorised work: DIY work on electricity or repairing it by an unqualified office may usually not have been done according to the security norms. Bad electrical connections, faulty wiring, and shortcuts bloat the risk factors of default security and hazards.

Bushfire and Vegetation Risk Mitigation Defect Notice: Electricity distributors are particularly active in the face of potential fire danger in areas prone to bushfires. 

Should the assessments determine a flaw in the design or equipment on your property that could cause a probable bushfire, the distributor might issue a Bushfire and Vegetation Risk Mitigation Defect Notice.

Some things that could be considered for this type of notice include:

Vegetation in contact with overhead cables: Overhaul powerlines are to be kept free from contact with branches of trees or other vegetation for falling, arcing, or short-circuiting.

Naked conductors: Exposed wiring from the older overhead power lines can make an area prone to fires.

Poor condition private power poles: A badly decayed or broken private power pole on your property increases the risk of electrical fires and exposure to line breakage and ignitions.

Western Power cites that nearly 100,000 of the state’s 150,000 private power poles had undergone evaluation. On the other hand, over 25,000 notices require homes to have a pole replacement.

Who regulates and issues electrical defect notices in NSW? 

Both Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy regulate and issue notices regarding the electrical aspect of New South Wales. Ausgrid’s key service areas are Sydney Metropolitan, the Central Coast, and the Hunter Valley.

Endeavour Energy, on the other hand, services the Greater West of Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands, Illawarra, and the South Coast.

These companies regularly send their personnel to check for faults throughout the extent of their electrical grids, whether in homes or business premises.

If an electrical fault is detected, they send a letter by post that often mandates someone from the level 2 accredited service provider (ASP) electrician to rectify the fault to restore it to the safety guidelines of that country.

Who is responsible for resolving electrical defect notices?

Ausgrid explains the property owner is responsible for ensuring that their connection point to your property is always maintained and repaired in case of any defects that may arise. 

You should ensure that any defect on your electrical lines is supervised immediately after the electrical defect report by the inspection officers after a fault or non-complying electrical installation.

Australian Minimum Safety Standards to Avoid Electrical Defect Notices

These are the essential criteria for ensuring the safety and reliability of electrical systems and equipment. They are framed by federal and regional-specific laws and standards within Australia.

Australia has strict standards related to electrical safety. You need to know how these apply, especially when you get an electrical defect notice to carry out repairs properly.

A few of these crucial ones are discussed herein:

1. AS/NZS 3760:2010 (In-service Safety Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment)

It defines the minimum requirements with respect to design, manufacture, and inspection that electrical equipment shall meet in order to ensure its safe and long-period operation. It establishes the guidelines for periodic inspections, assessments, and maintenance to be done so as to ensure electrical devices are safe.

2. NZS 3000:2018 (Wiring Rules)

It’s a guideline for testing all electrical systems installed in both countries. The standard sets out the bare minimum requirements for design, manufacturing, and testing, which shall ensure operational safety and reliability.

3. AS/NZS 1680.2.5:2018 (Interior and Surface Lighting)

This set of standards covers the safety requirements of luminaires for general lighting, residential, road, and many other applications, all of which reduce the risks related to that lighting installation.

4. AS/NZS 3012:2019 (Construction and Demolition Sites)

It defines requirements for the design, construction, inspection, and operational testing of electrical systems that supply equipment and tools used for construction and demolition projects. It also includes all electrical moveable and fixed, and electrical appliances for use on construction and demolition sites.

5. AS/NZS 3820:2020 (Essential Safety Requirements of Electrical Equipment)

It specifies the mandatory requirements in electrical equipment and apparatus to eliminate hazards of electric shock, so it needs to be brought to the attention of every homeowner.

A starting point for the supplier in ensuring the equipment is electrically safe is to meet the prescribed safety criteria, but there may be more that a supplier needs to do. It should be the business of the supplier to address all risks involved with the equipment to ensure it is electrically safe.

6. AS/NZS 3112 (Plugs and Sockets)

It sets out the electrical sector’s safety standards and testing procedures, covering everything from manufacturers to testing facilities and governing bodies. 

The significant updates to the standard now cover details on removable plug parts and have made the specifications for plugs and sockets more explicit through new diagram modification and inclusion.

7. AS/NZS 61439 (Switchboard Standards)

These standards define the design, manufacturing, and testing requirements for low-voltage switchboards that distribute electrical energy into distributing boards. Following these standards minimises the possible risks in using such a switchboard.

FAQs

1. What is an installation defect notice?

A defect notice means that a part of the electricity supply to the property, such as deteriorated wiring, has become defective and requires your attention to have it rectified by an electrical contractor. 

2. My electrical connection has been the same for years. Why have I been given this notice now?

Defect notices sent for service electrical connections already in place are usually for trees or branches in contact with electricity lines or alterations or additions to an existing connection. Vegetation clearing from around electricity lines is the responsibility of licensed operators.

3. Will I be the one responsible?

Ausgrid maintains and repairs its electricity network up to the service main laid in the street. Service mains extending onto the property are responsible for maintaining clearances for public safety on the premises. 

All work from the first point of connection on the property is the owner’s electrical installation, and it is the property owners’ responsibility to see that it is safe and properly maintained.

4. I am only a tenant, should I be liable?

You should have received the defect advice since the letter addresses the property. If you are a tenant, you should send the advice to the landlord immediately, that is, the property owner forthwith and follow up on the matter until it is rectified and resolved.

5. What charges do I have to pay?

Some repair work may require the electricity to be disconnected from the property at a point where the property is connected to the distributor pole. A reconnecting fee to be connected back to the power pole may be charged. 

A re-inspection fee is a fee charged to help cover the cost of an authorised network representative arranging an inspection of the installation to ensure it is safe. If the defect was due to an electric contractor, that fee is charged to the contractor.

Need to Fix Electrical Defects? Contact Local Electrician Sydney Today

The Local Electrician Sydney team comprises different types of electrical professionals who are truly passionate about what we do. With us on your side, rest assured your residential or home electrical needs are in good hands.

We are fully licensed electrical contractors and possess hundreds of hours of intensive training in providing only the best quality electrical services to our clients in the suburbs of Sydney, Woollongong, and the Blue Mountains.

You can rest assured that you will seek the help of a duly qualified electrician to have the defects in your electrical system at home or on any property repaired.

Besides, we are the only electricians in Sydney that offer a huge 20% discount on your first service with us.

Call us today at 02 9119 1344 and avoid bothersome disconnections and face serious consequences. We are always ready to serve you 24/7 with outstanding electrical work.