Riccarton lies due west of the city centre across Hagley Park and was one of the first places on the Canterbury Plains settled by Europeans, with the Deans brothers arriving in 1843. One of Christchurch's earliest groups of government-built workers' dwellings, the Walker Settlement on Mandeville Street, went up here in 1909.
Riccarton was an independent borough until 1989. Our work here spans older homes that need wiring and boards brought up to date and businesses along Riccarton Road and around Westfield Riccarton.
Common Home Types in Riccarton
Early workers' dwellings and other older houses can still have vulcanised Indian rubber (VIR) or tough rubber sheathed (TRS) cable, which should be replaced rather than extended. Boards in older homes often have rewireable fuses and little RCD protection. Homes renovated in stages may mix wiring ages, so we test before adding load.
What Riccarton Conditions Mean for Your Wiring
Riccarton Bush, one of only four remnants of the forest that once covered the plains, and the mature trees around Riccarton House give parts of the suburb an established feel, and sealed garden lighting suits these sections. Frost on flat ground and Clean Air Zone burner rules push more heating onto heat pumps, which adds load to the board. Westfield Riccarton and the Riccarton Road shops bring commercial work.
Electrical Services in Riccarton
- Emergency Electrician: Power out, sparks, a burning smell or a breaker that will not reset?
- Electrical Repairs: Tripping RCDs, dead power points, flickering lights and faulty switches traced to the cause and repaired, not just reset.
- Switchboard Upgrades: Old fuse boards replaced with a modern switchboard, circuit breakers and RCD protection, inspected and certified.
- Rewiring: Full and partial rewires for villas, bungalows and older homes, replacing tired rubber-insulated or overloaded wiring.
- Power Points: Extra power points, USB sockets, outdoor weatherproof outlets and new circuits for heat pumps, spa pools and workshops.
- Extractor Fans: Bathroom extractor fans and kitchen rangehoods wired and ducted outside, to move steam and damp out of the house.
- Security Cameras: Home and business security cameras and CCTV, wired or wifi, with recorder setup, outdoor cabling and phone viewing.
- Oven and Cooktop Installation: Ovens, induction cooktops and new kitchen circuits connected safely, including upgrades from gas or older electric hobs.
- Electrical Inspections: Electrical safety inspections and pre-purchase checks with a written report, covering the switchboard, wiring, RCDs and earthing.
- Smoke Alarm Installation: Hard-wired and long-life photoelectric smoke alarms installed in the right places, including rentals that must comply.
- LED Lighting: LED downlights, pendant and feature lighting, dimmers and smart switches, planned around how each room is used.
- Outdoor Lighting: Garden, deck, driveway and security lighting, with sensors and timers, wired safely for the outdoors.
- EV Charger Installation: Home EV chargers installed on a dedicated, properly protected circuit, with a switchboard check and certificate.
- Solar Installation: Solar panel systems and home batteries sized to your power use, installed and connected by licensed electricians.
- Commercial Electrician: Maintenance, fit-outs, lighting upgrades and fault finding for offices, shops, clinics and light industrial sites.
- Test and Tag: Portable appliance testing and tagging for workplaces, with a full register of results for your records.
- Data Cabling: Network and data cabling for homes and offices: Cat6 points, comms cabinets, wifi access points and TV outlets.
Not sure what you need? Read the electrician prices guide or book an electrician in Riccarton.
Working in Riccarton
Settlers who landed in April 1840 farmed at Riccarton until early 1841, and the Deans brothers settled on the same site in 1843, naming it after their home parish in Ayrshire.
Riccarton Bush is one of only four remnants of the forest that once covered the Canterbury Plains, is dominated by kahikatea, and now has a predator-proof perimeter fence.
You will often see our vans near Riccarton Bush (Pūtaringamotu) and Riccarton House on the way to a job in Riccarton.
Electrician Riccarton FAQs
Does my older Riccarton home need rewiring?
Only if testing shows it. VIR or TRS rubber cable should be replaced, while sound plastic-sheathed wiring can usually stay.
Is a rewireable fuse board safe?
Many still work, but they offer less protection than modern breakers and often lack RCDs. We test and tell you honestly whether to upgrade.
Do you work on businesses along Riccarton Road?
Yes. We handle fit-outs, lighting, maintenance and test and tag for shops and offices.
Can you install garden lighting?
Yes. We install path, garden and feature lighting on RCD-protected circuits with sealed fittings.