Power Point Installation

Essentially, power points can be installed in any room of your home, as well as outdoors, but they must be installed by a licensed electrician.

In wet areas, like bathrooms, kitchens and laundries, certain regulations need to be complied with. For example, each power point must be a certain distance from any water source as well as the floor. This means that they’re not likely to get wet.

On the other hand, outdoor power points have to be weatherproof to protect them from the elements.

There’s really no limit to the number of power points that can be installed in a home. The more power points you have, the more circuits will need to be installed in the meter box. Typically, each circuit can safely have around 8 to 10 power points attached to it.

In a standard 3-bedroom home, you will usually find that there are around 15 to 20 double power points as well as up to 5 single power points for appliances like the fridge, microwave and rangehood.

But, it’s better to install more power points than you think you’ll need so you don’t overload single power points with double adapters and power boards, or run multiple extension cables, which can be dangerous.

When having power points installed in your home, let your electrician be your guide. A licensed electrician knows how many power points can safely be connected to each circuit and will calculate how many circuits and mini circuit breakers (MCBs) you’re going to need in the switchboard.

To give you a quick explanation:

• Most modern homes and commercial premises in WA with single-phase power have several 20 amp circuits with a 20 amp MCB on each circuit.
• A standard single power point is 10 amps but most appliances won’t draw this many amps.
• Each 20 amp circuit and MCB can have up to 20 x 10amp power points connected because it’s assumed that not all power points will be used at the same time. But, it’s more common to just have 8 to 10 power points per circuit.
• If a circuit does draw too many amps, the circuit breaker will trip to prevent an overload.

All Australian single-phase domestic power points, including those in Western Australia, are standard 230 volts with 50Hz frequency. The amperage can vary from 10A (most common) through to 32A (uncommon in residential properties).

Most homes and commercial premises in Perth, and throughout Western Australia, have standard 10A Type I power points in either a single or double outlet configuration.

Caravans and mobile homes often have a 15A Type I power point for connecting to mains power. You may also find 20A Type I power points in premises that have 3-phase power but they are the exception rather than the rule for residential use.

The amount of power each power point uses is determined by the rating of the power point itself. In Australia, the most commonly used power point in homes is a 10 amp power point.

This means that each power point will draw a maximum of 10 amps at any one time. Most appliances are unlikely to need that much power but those that do, are hard-wired to their own dedicated circuit. This is common for appliances like ovens, air conditioners and cooktops.

It’s important to note that a circuit breaker will only trip when the maximum current has been exceeded. But, you can overload a 10 amp power point without tripping the circuit breaker. This is because the power point uses 10 amps while the circuit has a maximum output of 20 amps before the circuit breaker is tripped.

When this happens, you’ll either burn the wiring in the power point or fry the equipment/power cable plugged into it! That’s why we recommend installing as many power points as possible to spread the load and avoid overloading the individual power points themselves.

Australian power points use Type I outlets which have the long live/neutral pins in an inverted V configuration at the top and a long vertical earth pin at the bottom.

New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands use the same plug. So if the appliance or device comes from any of these countries, it should already have a Type I plug.

If not, you’ll have to use a plug adaptor to use the device or appliance in Perth.

Most definitely, and we highly recommend you install at least one (preferably more) because it means you can plug your USB device straight into the USB socket without having to find an adapter! We frequently install USB power points because so many appliances now use them.

Always contact an electrician immediately if you have electrical problems or issues with your power points not working, sparking, heating up, or burning your plugs, as these indicate there is something wrong with your wiring or the power points.

As a safety measure, avoid using the problem power point until the issue has been resolved.

Each job is different so we provide a direct, personalised quote tailored specifically to your needs. You can reach out to us or give us a call.

Yes, you can but we are now legally required by Australia’s new Energy Standards to upgrade your switchboard at the same time to bring it up to code with current standards i.e. modern RCDs (Residual Current Devices), MCBs and so on. You will need to contact us for a quote to do this upgrade.

Have any questions not answered here? Reach out to us by on 9226 7900 or the contact us and we’ll be more than happy to help.