Glenfield, house by house
A 1960s suburb
The Harbour Bridge opened in 1959 and most of Glenfield followed in the 1960s, with the south-east filling in by the early 1970s. Glenfield Mall opened on 9 December 1971.
Lived in, not empty
Glenfield had 5,412 dwellings in 2023, and Kaipātiki had the lowest share of empty homes of any Auckland board, 2.4%. In Kaipātiki, 35.4% of households paid rent.
Floods next door
Two people drowned in the Wairau Valley in the 27 January 2023 floods. Glenfield sits between the valley and Kaipātiki Creek.
Slips on old ground
GNS Science says the 2008 winter rain set off major slips at Glenfield and Torbay, and that building on old landslides was the underlying cause.
Hot water on pilot wire
Vector says North Auckland hot water may run on pilot wire, which is fixed after the lines. A cylinder that stays cold can be a fault in the service pilot wire or the relay in the meter box.
When your house is dark and the street is lit
After a storm, Vector restores the big lines first, then neighbourhoods, then individual service lines. Vector says the service line from the street to your house is the owner's responsibility. If your neighbours have power and you don't, check for a tripped main switch or RCD, then call Vector. If they find the fault is on your side, you'll need a registered electrician.
The jobs a 60-year-old house brings
The board. A 1960s board was never meant for heat pumps in three bedrooms. If it has fuses or no RCDs, a switchboard upgrade is where to start.
More power points. These houses have few outlets per room, which is why multiboxes end up daisy-chained behind the TV. Extra power points on their own circuit fix that properly.
A check before you buy. Plenty of Glenfield homes change hands. An electrical inspection tells you whether the board and wiring need work.
Where we'd start in Glenfield
We'd get the board assessed first, because almost everything else depends on it. Then we'd add power points where the multiboxes are, so they can go.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.