Sparky's Life
Sparky's Life
EP 20 Safety Inspections and Life at a Crossroads
This episode emphasises the critical importance of electrical inspections in homeownership, illustrated through the story of a homeowner facing issues with her new electrical system after installing solar panels. The conversation reveals gaps in communication among real estate, solar installers, and electricians, urging listeners to prioritise safety checks to avoid costly hazards.
• Speaking about the Wauchope homeowner's experience with her switchboard
• Highlighting the importance of electrical inspections before purchasing homes
• Discussing the pressure on buyers from real estate companies
• Addressing the responsibilities of solar installers in communicating risks
• Reflecting on the burden electricians face correcting others’ mistakes
• Emphasising the lack of essential safety switches in many homes
• Urging homeowners to treat electrical inspections as seriously as vehicle assessments
• Sharing a quote from Michelle Obama about integrity and success
• Encouraging listener engagement for future topics
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Hello everyone, welcome to Sparky's Life. I'm your host, grant Dilko. Today on the show we'll be talking about lack of switchboard care and I have the quote of the week and also some nice royalty free music to end off the show. So let's get the show started. We were contacted by a customer that had just recently purchased an old home in Warhope. She had solar installed on the roof and then contacted her energy retailer to upgrade the old disc meters in the switchboard to a smart electronic meter to register the solar feed-in tariff to the grid. The energy retailer's meter technician came out to replace the meter.
Speaker 1:The switchboard was defected by the energy retailer and the client had to get an electrician to fix the defects. The work couldn't be done because there was old cable, known as VIR cable, which is very unsafe to work with and needs to be replaced, and the switchboard was hinged at the top and needed to be hinged at one side. We went out to have a look at the job and see what could be done. We found that the switchboard was too close to the front door, as a new switchboard would impede the front door. The switchboard would then need to be relocated away from the front door, possibly to the front for easy access. Basically, the house was at the stage for an electrical cable rewire, as the cables were really old, brittle and unsafe to touch. The client expressed to us that she couldn't afford a rewire, so we left her with some options. She has since then proceeded to find another electrician to do a cheap fix on the main switchboard so she can benefit from the rooftop solar.
Speaker 1:So there are so many things that went wrong here. The first thing is why? Why didn't the purchaser pay for an electrician to do a electrical inspection on the house that she was ready to purchase? Everyone gets a pest and building inspection, but no one does an electrical inspection. Why is that? You know you're going to make the biggest investment in your life and you can't be bothered getting an electrical inspection done. I have a feeling that the real estate companies put pressure on the purchaser not to, because they would lose a sale. Number two solar companies. They never warn their clients about the potential dangers of the electrical wiring in the switchboard and when they got their hands inside the board connecting the solar to the main switch, this is the time to say something. Come on, solar installers, have some due diligence. Number three the electrician shows up to fix everyone's mistakes and the client's saying well, the solar installers didn't say anything about all of this. Well, that's because it's not their problem, it's yours, it's your issue, your problem. So this all comes back to the why there needs to be some sort of education program to explain the benefits of an electrical inspection.
Speaker 1:We see it all the time like a deer's eyes being dazzled by the oncoming headlights. You have just purchased a house that needs a full electrical cable rewire. It's a big added expense straight from the get-go and you haven't even boxed all your belongings yet. You could be living in a ticking time bomb, but you wouldn't know because you haven't bothered to find out. It's just staggering to see how many homes that don't have any safety switches in the switchboard. Have you looked inside the switchboard? Have you looked up inside the roof cavity? You would buy any vehicle, car or truck without looking at it first, taking it for a test drive, even getting a mechanic to look at it first before you buy it if it's second hand. Same applies with a house or any other type of property.
Speaker 1:Hi there, I'm Grant Doolko. If this is your first time here at Sparky's Life, welcome. It's great to have you here and if you're back here for more, welcome back and thank you for your loyalty and support. You like what you hear on today's show. Make sure you share this podcast with your mates who are electricians or who are involved in the tradie world. I want to reach out and help as many tradies as I can with this podcast. I want to help trades people break through to the next level in their career and in their lives.
Speaker 1:And now it's time for the quote of the week from Michelle Obama. We learned about honesty and integrity, that the truth matters, that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules, and success doesn't count unless you earned it fair and square. So that's all for now, folks, but before I go, if there is anything you'd like me to talk about on future episodes, maybe want to ask a question or be on the show, you can do this by contacting us on any of our media sites. I'll put the links to these in the show notes, and don't forget to follow the show and leave a review. Thanks for listening to Sparky's Life. I. I'm your host, grant Dilko.
Speaker 2:Keep safe and catch you on the next one. I'm somewhere in the middle and a little bit messed up, cause without you, everything stops. I'm feeling so lonely when you never phone me. I put your picture on my window so to make myself feel all right, but I knew it would not be easy spending time apart and I almost can't believe it. Believe that you're gone and I don't think this will get better until you come around. I guess that everybody needs some time to figure themselves out.
Speaker 2:We are now at Upper Session Road. Tell me we can work it out. Forget about the past. Now. Time moves slow. I'm not high or low, no, I'm somewhere in the middle and a little bit messed up, cause without you, everything stops. We are now at Upper Session Road, but I want to look close and I still have hope. I'm waiting every day for you to come back and tell me we can work it off and get back up. That's not time move slow. I'm not high or low, no, I'm somewhere in the middle and a little bit messed up, cause without you, everything stops. Oh, oh, oh. Without you, everything stops.
