Poly in the Rafters

Parrots, Rodents + Wiring – DON'T MIX

That bird’s nest of broken wires looks terrible. What’s happened?

Parrots got into a roof space, set up camp, got hungry and started pecking through electrical cabling.

How did you discover this?

In the process of installing a power point for a new hot water system we talked to the owners about their old switchboard. They mentioned their lights had been intermittently tripping the circuit breaker for a few months. After testing we found issues with a lighting circuit. Serious parrot damage had created a potential fire and electrocution hazard. We rewired this area and made sure the entire household’s electricity safety was up to standard.

What’s the lesson to be learnt here?

The owners had got the birds out a couple of months ago but they never thought to look for any cabling damage or request an electrician to do this. They didn’t think the tripping lights were something to worry about but it was an important warning sign of potential danger.

So your electricians look beyond the obvious?

Yes. We have the knowledge and experience backed by a range of products to make your household safe in situations like these. Among them is a combination safety switch-RCD for $165. Our switchboard upgrades start from $680 with a 10-year warranty.