Solar and electrical contractor in Lennox Head, NSW
Working in Lennox Head, from the lake to the headland
Lennox Head is a village squeezed between the ocean and the hills, and the work follows that shape. Houses sit near Lake Ainsworth, along the beach side of the village, and up the slopes under the headland. Seven Mile Beach runs north from the village, and the headland has a cliff about 65 metres high where hang gliders launch. Anything that sits within reach of the surf takes salt air all year, so we look at switchboards, outdoor isolators and roof fittings with that in mind from the first visit.
Around the Lennox Head village centre and Lake Ainsworth, street frontages are narrow and parking is tight, so we plan where the van goes before we arrive. On the slopes behind the village, driveways can be steep, with retaining walls and garages cut into the hill, and a ladder may need a different approach to the roof. The meter box is usually on the front boundary or a garage wall, and the switchboard can be a metre inside a garage full of boards and gear. Telling us where yours is saves time.
Lennox Head housing is a mix of older beach cottages and holiday houses, rebuilt larger homes and newer streets. In the older places, the wiring is often original, the switchboard small and the roof low and shaded by coastal trees. Newer homes tend to have wide north facing roofs and double garages, which suits solar and a battery well. Behind the village there is swamp and heathland that has burned before, in 1957 and again in 2014, so we think about how cables and equipment sit near bush.
What we do here most
What Lennox Head homes and shops keep needing
Salt air, shade from coastal trees and a village full of cafes and holiday houses shape most of the calls we get here.
Solar
Solar for a shaded home below the headland
A house on the slope under the headland may get its sun only for part of the day, with trees or a neighbour's roof throwing shade across it. We look at the roof at different angles, note which sections stay clear, and plan the panel layout around them. If one roof face is poor, another side of the house or a garage roof may do the job better.
Electrical
Switchboard replacement in an older beach cottage
An older cottage near the lake or the beach may still have a small switchboard with few spare ways, added to over the years. Salt in the air can mark the metal and the connections. We open it, look at what is there, and tell you what we would change before you commit. Often it is worth doing before a new air conditioner or solar system goes on.
Inverters
Outdoor inverter marked by salt air
An inverter fixed to an outside wall within reach of the sea breeze can pick up salt on its casing, vents and cable glands. Sometimes it shows up as a fault code or a unit that shuts down on hot afternoons. We check the mounting, the conduit and the isolator, and tell you whether it needs moving to a sheltered wall.
Commercial
Fridge and kitchen circuits in a village cafe
A cafe or takeaway near the village centre depends on cool rooms, coffee machines and fryers all running at once, often from a switchboard that has grown over time. We trace what is on each circuit, check the fittings for heat marks, and do the work around opening hours so trade is not lost. Summer visitors make the busy months hard on old wiring.
If it is urgent
If the power drops in Lennox Head, especially in a storm
- 1Look at your switchboard without opening it, and see whether the main switch or any safety switches have dropped, and whether the street lights or your neighbours' houses are dark as well.
- 2Leave alone any outdoor inverter, battery or isolator that looks wet, damp or marked by salt, and do not wipe, spray or open it, because water and live equipment do not mix.
- 3When you call, tell us whether the house is near the beach, the lake or on the hill, what you can see on the switchboard, and whether the neighbours have power.
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 Lennox Head, NSW
The twenty things we do across the Northern Rivers all apply in Lennox Head, though salt air and shaded coastal blocks change how we mount, protect and place the equipment.
Also nearby
We work in these suburbs too
Local, and on the phone
Solar and electrical work in Lennox Head
Tell us how far the house is from the beach or lake, and which way the main roof faces. Those two details decide what equipment suits the site and how we plan the visit.
0417 415 47424 hours a day, 7 days a week
Not urgent? Send us the job instead