Solar and electrical contractor in Bexhill, NSW
Bexhill, village and ridge
Bexhill is a small village on Bangalow Road, a short drive from Lismore, at the end of a ridge of basalt hills with the floodplains of the Wilsons River and Coopers Creek around it. It has a general store, the Uniting Church of the Good Shepherd and an open air cathedral overlooking the creek valley, and the old rail line runs through. The work splits between village streets, acreage up on the ridges and homes on the flat ground near the creek.
Village houses usually have a front gate or driveway off the main road, and old lots can be narrow with little room for a ladder beside the house. Out on the acreage, expect gates and gravel driveways. Meter boxes on older houses tend to be on a front or side wall, sometimes behind a verandah post or a shrub, and we ask you to clear a path to the board before we arrive. Bangalow Road carries traffic, so tell us where the van can stand off it.
Bexhill was an important settlement in the 1850s, and some houses here are very old. Timber cottages and farmhouses can have old style fuses in the switchboard, wiring of an older type in the roof and walls, and few power points, so we check what is there before adding load. Houses on the creek flats are on ground that floods, so a switchboard, inverter or battery is better fixed higher. Houses along the ridge usually sit above that line.
What we do here most
What Bexhill houses keep needing
Bexhill mixes very old houses with ground that floods. The jobs below come from one or both.
Electrical
Old village cottage switchboard and wiring check
A timber cottage that has stood since the early days of the village may still have a small board with old fuses and cable that has aged in the roof. We open the board, test what we can reach and look at the condition of the cable. We tell you what is safe to keep, what should be replaced and what we cannot see without opening a wall.
Solar
Ground mounted solar on the creek flats
Open paddock beside Coopers Creek has plenty of sun but also floods. A ground array there needs its frame set properly into the soil, its inverter fixed well above the ground and its cable protected. We look at where past water has reached, using what you know of the paddock, and place the equipment accordingly. Roof panels are the other option if the house is higher.
Repairs
Finding why a creek flat house keeps tripping
A house on low ground can carry damp in its walls, subfloor and outdoor fittings long after the water has gone. That damp can make a circuit trip, especially in wet weather. We check outdoor power points, junction boxes and the cable under the floor, find the wet part and repair it. We also tell you which fittings are worth replacing before the next wet season.
Batteries
Battery above the flood line on a ridge house
A house on the ridge can sit well above the creek, which makes it a sensible place for a battery. The important parts are a dry, ventilated wall, a clear path to reach it and a short cable back to the switchboard. We walk through the house with you, pick the wall and explain what the battery will keep running when the grid line goes down.
If it is urgent
If the power fails at a Bexhill house
- 1Look from outside at the meter box and switchboard and check whether water, damp or a hot smell is coming from them, and whether the neighbours' lights are on.
- 2Leave the switchboard door shut if it is wet or scorched, do not walk through water near a power point, and leave solar inverters and batteries alone if anything smells burnt.
- 3When you call, tell us whether the house is in the village, up on the ridge or on the creek flat, how old the wiring is as far as you know and where the meter box sits on the house.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which areas do you cover?
The Northern Rivers of New South Wales, from our base at Dorroughby, between Lismore and Byron Bay. Twenty places have their own pages on the service areas page, but they are a starting point rather than a boundary. If you are not sure we reach your address, call and we will check.
Do you answer the phone after hours?
Yes. The phone is answered at any hour, every day, on the number at the top of this page. Call with your address and what you are seeing, and we will tell you what to leave alone and what happens next.
Do you work on farms and businesses as well as homes?
Yes. The work runs from a single house roof to sheds, workshops, shops and farm buildings, on mains power and off it. Tell us what the building is used for and when it is busy, because that decides when the work can happen.
What should I send when I enquire?
A photo of your switchboard with the door open, a photo of the roof or the spot where equipment would go, and a recent power bill if you have one. If you already have a system, add a photo of the inverter and any error on its screen. Photos let us give you straight answers before anyone visits.
Will my solar keep working in a blackout?
A standard grid-connected system switches itself off when the grid goes down, even in full sun, and that is a safety feature. To keep some power on during an outage, the system needs a battery set up with a backup circuit. Which circuits go on that backup is decided with you before the work starts.
Can I add a battery to the solar I already have?
Often yes, but it depends on the inverter you have now and how the system is wired. Some inverters take a battery as it is, and others need replacing or adding to first. Send a photo of the inverter and we will tell you which it is likely to be.
What is the difference between grid-connected, hybrid and off-grid?
A grid-connected system works alongside the street supply and has no battery. A hybrid system uses one inverter to run the panels and a battery together. An off-grid system has no street connection at all, so the panels, battery and a backup generator input carry the whole property.
Can you work on a system someone else installed?
Yes. The first step is finding out exactly what is there, which means opening the switchboard, checking the cabling and reading what the inverter reports. After that we tell you what can stay, what should be repaired and what should be replaced.
Why does my solar system keep switching off or showing an error?
There are many possible causes, from a failing part to a loose connection or a fault on one string of panels. We trace the fault step by step and read the error codes before anything is replaced. Send a photo of the inverter screen and tell us when it happens.
What should I do if I see damage or smell burning near electrical equipment?
Keep clear of it and keep children and pets away. If there is fire or smoke, call emergency services first. Then call us, tell us what you saw and where, and leave the equipment alone until it has been checked.
Will the power go off while you work?
For most solar, battery and switchboard jobs the power is switched off for part of the day. We tell you when it will go off before we start, so you can plan around fridges, medical equipment and anything else that needs to keep running. Ask about it when you book.
Do you work on properties with no mains power?
Yes. Off-grid work starts with a list of what you run and when, because that decides the size of the panels, the battery and the inverter. We also look at the site itself, including shade, access and how far the equipment sits from the house.
Everything we do here
Services in Bexhill, NSW
These are the twenty things we do across the Northern Rivers, and in Bexhill the age of the houses and the height of the ground shape how we go about them.
Local, and on the phone
Solar and electrical work in Bexhill
Call or email with your address in the village or on the road, and tell us whether the house is on the ridge or down near the creek. That one detail decides where we would fix a switchboard, inverter or battery. A photo of your switchboard with the cover closed would also help.
0417 415 47424 hours a day, 7 days a week
Not urgent? Send us the job instead