Water got into the house? Leave the power off
Don't switch anything back on that's been under water, including power points, a heat pump unit or the meter board, until a licensed electrician has checked it. If a line is down, stay at least 10 metres away and call 111, then Vector on 0508 VECTOR (0508 832 867).
What's different about the west
Flood after flood
A downpour on 12 March 2017 dropped 65mm on the west in about an hour; Glen Eden had 65 flooded homes, Titirangi 43 and Henderson 30. After the 2023 storms the Waitākere ward had 1,347 affected buildings, 121 of them red stickered.
The coast goes dark longest
Six days after Cyclone Gabrielle, Vector still had around 3000 homes and businesses without power, about 600 of them at Piha, Bethells and Muriwai.
Pilot wire hot water
Vector says West Auckland hot water may be controlled by pilot wire, which gets fixed after the power lines. A cold cylinder after the lights return can mean a fault in the service pilot wire or the relay in the meter box.
Family homes from the 1950s on
Low-cost housing at Te Atatū, Rānui and Massey drove growth for 20 years from the early 1950s. Separate houses still make up 80.2% of homes in Henderson-Massey and 86.7% in the Waitākere Ranges.
Lots of renters in the east of the west
In 2023, 41.3% of Henderson-Massey households and 42.7% in Whau paid rent, against 25.4% in the Waitākere Ranges.
Jobs that follow the weather out here
A safety check after flooding. Water in a wall cavity or under the floor can sit in junction boxes and cable runs long after the carpet dries. An electrician tests the affected circuits and tells you what has to be replaced and what can stay.
Power out in only part of the house. After a storm that usually points to a tripped RCD, a damaged circuit or a problem on your service line. Vector says the line from the street to your house is the owner's responsibility, so that one needs a registered electrician. Our guide to power out in part of the house helps you narrow it down.
Healthy homes work for landlords. Fixed heating for the living room and extractor fans that vent outside are what the standards ask for, and they're licensed work in a rental.
Where we'd start after a west Auckland storm
Call Vector for the outage, then book an electrician for anything that got wet, before the insurer's assessor arrives if you can. Ask for a written report on each circuit they tested. It's the document your insurer and any future buyer will want to see.
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.