Solar and electrical contractor in Brunswick Heads, NSW
Brunswick Heads, from the river mouth to the creek
Brunswick Heads is a small seaside village at the mouth of the Brunswick River, with a breakwater, a marina for fishing boats and Torakina Beach inside the entrance. Timber footbridges cross to the surf beach, and Simpsons Creek runs behind the village. Most of the work sits in the old holiday cottages and newer rebuilds in the streets near the water, in the shops and cafes on the main street, and in the holiday park on the creek. The Pacific Highway bypassed the village in 1998, so the streets are quiet.
Access here is tight. Streets near Simpsons Creek and the river have cars parked on both sides in holiday periods, and a lot of houses have narrow driveways or only a carport out the front. Holiday lets often have a key held by a manager or an owner who lives elsewhere, so the first call is about who can let us in. In the holiday park we need the park manager's go-ahead and a plan for which cabins and sites lose power, and for how long.
The housing is mostly small and old: fibro and weatherboard beach cottages, some raised, some renovated, and a few big new houses that have replaced them. Salt air off the Brunswick River mouth and the surf beach eats at metal, so switchboard enclosures, clips and inverter housings tend to corrode sooner here than inland. Older cottages may carry wiring that has been added to many times. Solar roofs are often small and low, so we measure the roof before we talk about panels.
What we do here most
What Brunswick Heads keeps needing
The village is mostly holiday lets, cafes and old cottages near salt water, so the work comes down to corrosion, shared loads and houses that are not lived in all year.
Commercial
Powered sites and amenities at a holiday park
A holiday park has many small supplies under one roof: powered van sites, cabins, an amenities block, a camp kitchen. Each one draws power differently across a busy summer week. We look at the poles or pedestals the sites run from, the cable under the ground to them and the main board, and plan any shutdown with the manager.
Electrical
Old beach cottage with wiring added to over time
A fibro or weatherboard cottage near the water may have had a room added, a kitchen redone and an outside light fitted by several different people. We open the switchboard first, then look in the roof space and under the floor where we can reach, and tell you what we find before suggesting anything to change.
Inverters
Inverter corroded on a salt-exposed wall
A solar inverter bolted to an outside wall close to the beach can pit and fail, with water getting into the cable entries and the bolt heads rusting. We check the seals, the fixings and what the wall faces. Sometimes the answer is moving the inverter to a protected wall, such as inside a garage or under the eave.
Solar
Solar on a holiday let the owner rarely visits
A holiday let has no one home during the week, so the power it uses is mostly cleaning, changeovers and guests on and off. We need to see the roof and the meter, and we need a key. We talk with the owner or manager about when the property is empty, so installation days do not clash with guests.
If it is urgent
If the power drops in a Brunswick Heads holiday let or cottage
- 1Look at the switchboard cover and note which switch has dropped, and whether the board or an outside power point looks wet, rusty or has water around it after rain or spray.
- 2Leave any outside power point, inverter or switch box that looks wet or corroded alone, and do not use a power cord that has been through water. Keep guests away from the switchboard.
- 3When you call, tell us the street, whether it is a holiday let and who holds the key, and whether the problem is on a wall that faces the water or the beach.
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 Brunswick Heads, NSW
Among the twenty things we do across the Northern Rivers, a village of salt air, holiday lets and old cottages leans on repairs, switchboards and sealed outdoor equipment.
Also nearby
We work in these suburbs too
Local, and on the phone
Solar and electrical work in Brunswick Heads
Tell us whether the property is lived in, rented out or a holiday let, and who can give us access. That decides when the visit can happen and who needs to be there.
0417 415 47424 hours a day, 7 days a week
Not urgent? Send us the job instead