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How Do I Know If My Home Has Enough Safety Switches?

Modern wiring rules require safety switches on every circuit, power and lighting alike, but a lot of established homes still only have partial coverage.

What full coverage looks like

Ideally, every circuit in your switchboard, lighting and power circuits included, has its own safety switch, or the circuits are grouped under multiple safety switches rather than relying on just one for the whole property.

Common gaps in older homes

It's common for older homes to have a single safety switch covering only power circuits, with lighting circuits unprotected, or no safety switch at all if the switchboard hasn't been updated since original construction.

Why partial coverage matters

If one safety switch covers several circuits, a fault on any of them can cut power to everything under that switch at once, and any circuit without one has no shock protection at all.

How to check

Look at your switchboard for labelled RCD or safety switches with test buttons, and count how many circuits each one appears to cover. A licensed electrician can confirm exactly what's protected and recommend upgrades to close any gaps.

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