First check that the power in the area has not dropped out. If power is still on in the area or one half of your house, unplug all of your appliances, including any water/pool pump, dishwasher, washing machine. It is not sufficient to just turn off the switch at the wall as the appliances are still drawing a little current; you must unplug the appliances. At your switchboard try to reset the tripped switch. If it resets then plug in your appliances one at a time, you may discover the faulty appliance during this process. Leave this appliance unplugged and plug the rest in. If the switch will not reset, you will need a Electrician to fix the problem.
NO!! Unless it is changing a light bulb.
In Queensland it is illegal for anyone but a qualified electrician to do any domestic wiring or house rewiring. Even if the work has been done to standard it will not pass certification which is bad news especially if you need to sell the property. It makes sense for safety to hire a qualified electrician to carry out all your household wiring. You also risk your personal safety and the safety of your family and friends.
On a normal power circuit, the current flowing to an appliance returns through the neutral wire. If the circuit is compromised, the electricity can leak to earth through a person in contact with the appliance or a problem with the appliance, causing death or serious injury.
A safety switch detects the difference in power from the circuit, and cuts the supply of electricity in as little as 30 milliseconds – 0.003 seconds. Importantly, this response time is faster than the critical section of a heartbeat, and therefore significantly reduces the risk of death or serious injury.
A few factors to consider when choosing a ceiling fan are:
- Where it is to be installed – can cables be run easily or will a remote be needed.
- The size of the room – A small room will need a fan with small blades but a larger room will need a full size fan.
- Is there need for a fan which includes a light – Are you replacing the light in the room with a fan or changing the room lights over.
- The room décor – Will the fan suit the style of the room.
- Blade performance needed – Will a three blade fan by ok or a four blade fan. A four blade fan will move more air.
- The location of your house – Is a ceiling fan going to be the best option for cooling the room.
- Is a remote control fan needed – If ceiling access is not possible or very had then this can be a option that can save you money.
For an existing owner-occupied home, the minimum requirement as at 01/01/2017 is that your smoke alarm must be of a photoelectric type which complies with Australian Standard (AS) 3786-2014, that your smoke alarm is not older than 10 years old and that your smoke alarm tests successfully.
If you have a rental property the laws are different, please call us for more info.
The basic install or back to back install for a split system air-conditioning system includes the following:
The following is included in the price of your back to back supply and installation:
For single story house:
- All electrical conduits and isolation switches.
- Up to 3 metres of pair coil refrigerant piping between the head unit and the outdoor unit. ( 5 meters for 2 story homes)
- 1 x Polyslab base for the system to sit on
- 1 x duct cap ( 2 x joiners for 2 story homes)
- 1 x 2 metre length of duct ( 3 x 2 meter length duct for 2 story homes)
- Condensate drain pipe to the nearest drain point.
My A/C system has stopped cooling or heating:
- Check that the A/C system still has power.
- Turn the system on and check what is working or not:
- The head unit turns on but is not cooling – check if the outdoor unit is starting up if not contact us for support.
- The head unit is not turning on at all – Is there a error code flashing or not. If a code is flashing take it down and contact us for support.
- The system is turning on both inside and outside.
- There is a good chance that there is a leak in the coolant lines that needs fixing.
Regular maintenance ensures that your air conditioning system will work when you need it most and keep on working throughout the years. Benefits of regular maintenance include:
- Reduces breakdown costs
- Keeps unit running efficiently which in turn saves on energy consumption
- Maximises the life cycle of your air conditioning unit
For more information on our services contact us or check our pricing.
All air conditioning units will condensate water, especially when they are on the cooling cycle where it may condensate a few litres of water and hour when being used. This is perfectly normal, no cause for concern, unless it is coming out the head unit in your room. If this happens first check that the drain is clear a the end and if water is coming out of the end. If no water is coming out the end it will mean the drain is blocked or broken. If water is coming out in a big rush it will mean the drain that it is running into is blocked.
This is a common problem with A/C systems of all types. Gecko’s are attracted to the systems mostly in winter as the control boards will still have some electricity passing through them and this will cause the boards to be warm attaching the gecko’s, as they are looking for warm places to make home. If yo are going on a holiday or the system will not be used for a while like all winter then it is advised to turn the system off at the isolator near the outdoor unit. This will stop gecko’s setting up home. If you are looking at using the system in winter then mothballs is the best way to keep Gecko’s out of the system. Place a few mothballs in the outdoor unit or hang some mothballs in the outdoor unit and the Gecko’s hate the smell and will stay away. This is not a one off things however as the mothballs will need replacing every month or two, and it is not 100% guaranteed.
Most brands have improved there control boards to help protect them form Gecko’s, however nothing is 100%.
If you think Gecko’s have gotten into your system please call we can help.
Zone motors are installed in Ducted A/C system to control the flow of air into the rooms and home. They can close off an area were no one is and save cooling unused rooms or open up to cool down a room where no one was until now. The zone motors also assist in keeping costs down when running your ducted system.
Problem is being a motor it is acceptable to faults and damage. If you find you turn on your zone and it is not cooling or turn it off but it is still getting cold air then their is a problem with your zone motor. A quick way to check is to get a pair of tongs with a little bit of toilet paper in the end. Hold the paper up to the A/C outlet in the room you want to check and see if air is coming out the outlet, the paper will move if air is moving. If there is no air check that the zone is turned off if so then turn the motor on and check again. If there is no air and the zone motor is turned on then their is a good chance that the zone motor might be faulty.
One of the best ways to heat your home in winter is to use a reverse cycle Air conditioning system. Almost all system on the market will give too ratings one for cooling and one for heating. When you check the heating one will always be higher than the cooling. The reason for this is that air conditioning system are more efficient at heating than cooling. E.g 2.5kW cooling will be rated around 3.5kW heating. When the systems were first designed they were designed for a energy efficient way to heat homes in cold environments. It was not long that a change over valve was fitted so they could also cool and the reverse cycle A/C system was born. But due to the way the gas works in the system they always perform better in heating than cooling and when compared to other forms of heating for homes A/C systems come out front in a lot of cases and is the most cost effective way to heat a home or bedroom.
Contact us if yo have any questions on how to heat your home for next winter.
Home automation is still new in Australia although it has been around for years. A lot of new homes and some older homes have it installed and working well, but there are so many options and ways to do this it gets confusing especially if you don’t understand what it is. The basic of home automation is having a device that controls a bit of electrical equipment (e.g lights) either automatically or on command without always the need of a switch to make it work. e.g. Turning your lights on using your voice or on a App on your phone.
This technology is coming a long way very fast from the C-Bus systems that have been around for 10-20yrs to the new wireless tech and apps on your phone that connect almost everything in your home and control it in multiple ways. e.g Google assistance to Siri and more. With this new Technology your home can be more connected than even before and your control of the Technology is getting easier each day.
Contact us if yo have any questions on how to get home automation in your home.
Almost any home can be fitted out for home automation and wireless control. If you are building a new home it will be the easiest time to have your home fitted and connected to a automation control system, however if yo already have a home there are system on the market just for you. Each home needs to be assessed and checked for which system is best to give the owners the level of control that they are after and with so many options it is not a one package fits all homes.