Lighting & Power

Lighting

You can of course change your own light bulbs. If one or more of them blows too frequently, you should call your electrician. Never use bulbs that exceed the light fitting manufacturers’ specifications. Langdon Building recommends the use of energy-efficient light globes, where practical. Your local power authority should be able to advise you on the best options.

Switchboards & Meter box

All repairs and other similar electrical work must be completed by a licensed electrician.

It is illegal for others to do it, and you may not be covered by insurance if an unlicensed person is found to have completed the work. All new home switchboards today are fitted with Residual Current Devices (RCD) that trip in the event of a fault or overloading issue. If this happens, re-set the switch. If it continues to happen, contact your electrician.

An overload can usually be detected by turning off one or more appliance. If the RCD doesn’t trip, you know you have probably been using too many appliances at the one time or that one of the appliances is faulty.

If you suspect the problem is a faulty appliance, take the appliance to an authorised dealer. Those appliances that use a lot of power include power tools and anything that uses heating elements such as toasters, radiators, stoves, kettles, hair dryers and air conditioners. Legally, the meter box must be readily available for the relevant authority to read at any time. Consider this when planning fencing and landscaping. For repairs or new installations contact the original electrician shown on your Electrical Compliance Certificate. Please notify the Service & Warranty Department at Langdon Building if the padlock is still installed inside your meter box, and we will arrange to have this removed.

Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms need to be cleaned and thoroughly checked at least once a year (select a birthday or another easy to remember date) or remember to change your smoke alarm battery when you change your clocks for daylight savings. The manufacturer’s instructions should tell you how to do this.

It is recommended that the backup battery be replaced at least once a year.

If the smoke alarm beeps continuously this is usually a sign that the battery is due for replacement. Smoke alarms do wear out and should be replaced if they are more than 10 years old.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Smoke alarms contain small amounts of radioactive material and must be disposed of in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Alternatively, contact your local Council for the correct procedure for disposal.