Home Inspection - Electrical - Part 2 of 3

http://www.homeownerseries.com

This is video #2 of a 3-part series. The videos are:

Part 1 = http://youtu.be/YTSAzqRmJsM
Part 2 = http://youtu.be/wiYrspSwXFM
Part 3 = http://youtu.be/4_8n41bwT_c

To watch the Electrical Systems Playlist = http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=851529BFED1E2994


Service Connection

Look at the electrical service connection to the house. Find out if it is an overhead or under ground connection. If the connection is overhead visually inspect to see that the connection is securely fastened to the house. Ensure that there are no trees overhanging the wires in anyway. Check to see that the wires are in good condition, and that the insulation and wires look somewhat new, and have no metal showing. If the house's utilities are underground, access is limited to the local utility company, which will maintain them. Problems are rare concerning underground power lines.

Breaker Box

Look at the service panel located on the outside of the home. Check to see if you have breakers or fuses. If a fuse panel is discovered then it needs to be replaced with a modern breaker panel. Check to see the size of the main breaker. The size is printed on the main breaker switch, usually the largest in the panel. On a medium size home a 100-amp main breaker is adequate. You may see 125, or 200 amp breakers depending on the size of the home. A medium size home using a breaker smaller than 100 amps will probably not have enough capacity to meet the electricity demands of a 21st century lifestyle. A new larger service panel will need to be installed. New breaker panels cost one to two thousand dollars. This change should be implemented promptly to insure safety in the home.

Grounding

Over time, the residential electrical code has improved adding safety measures to residential wiring. The ground wire was added to the existing hot and neutral. You can recognize this feature with its distinctive three-hole outlet. This allowed appliances, lights, and other devises to be grounded which safely completes the circuit. Many older homes do not have this safety feature, which should be upgraded to conform to modern safety and building codes.

GFCI Outlets

A great safety feature that was incorporated after 1973 was the use of GFCI or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter circuits. These circuits monitor the current flowing to and from the outlet. If the current flow differs by a very small amount the GFCI instantly interrupts the current flow preventing electric shock to the consumer. Generally these outlets are installed in areas of the house that are prone to grounding issues with water like in the bathrooms, outdoor outlets, or in the garage. Check to see if the bathrooms are outfitted with GFCI outlets. They can be found as a single GFCI outlet in one room of the house or as a GFCI breaker in the main panel. If no GFCI circuits are installed in the house this is a major concern that should be addressed by an electrical contractor in order to make the home a safer place in which to live.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• GFCI
• electrical
• home
• inspection
• knob
• tube
• Aluminum
• Wiring
• Breaker
• Box
• Grounding
• Air
• conditioning
• heating
• units
• hot
• water
• heaters
• outlet
• plug
• switch
• light
• wire
• copper
• cords

[bdcp]

@georgeisupset is that from opinion? Wouldnt make sense if they make the spring from easy rust metals. to something thats gonna sit there for a long time

[georgeisupset]

@bdcp breakers are mechanical devices, made of springs and contacts, when the springs get rusty they may not trip.

Fuses are one solid piece of thin copper... if it gets too hot on an overload, it burns out, opening the circuit before a fire can happen.

If you have fuses keep them.

[bdcp]

@georgeisupset how are they safer?

[thuydaigia]

Vegex . com <--- Awesome site :D

[georgeisupset]

Fuses are safer than breakers Homeowners don't be fooled ,ask any competent electrician so you don't get taken advantage of.