Electrical Safety Inspection for your Home
What Is a Home Electrical Safety Inspection?
An electrical safety inspection examines the electrical system in your home to make sure its various components meet safety standards. These standards are set forth by the National Electrical Code (NEC), and electricians must follow them when inspecting your home. The inspection will also involve checking your system to verify it is installed and operating correctly.
A home electrical safety inspection will:
Ensure your electrical system is working correctly.
Identify any existing problems before they become a hazardous threat, like an electrical fire or power shortage.
Provide recommended solutions to keep your home safe.
Help you meet the requirements for your insurance risk assessment inspection.
Assess the system before you commit to purchasing the home.
Reduce your energy consumption and costs.
What Does a Home Electrical Safety Inspection Involve?
During our home electrical safety inspections, we look for anything that could pose a safety hazard to the home’s residents. It is not uncommon to find open junction boxes or splices that can create both a shock hazard and a fire hazard. We also find loose connections at receptacles, junction boxes and service panels, which can start arcing and create a great amount of heat that can lead to a fire.
We also look for properly sized light bulbs in the light fixtures. People ask, “what could an improperly sized light bulb do?” When a light bulb exceeds the listed limits on the light fixture, it can create enough heat over time to cause the insulation around the wires of the light fixture to crystalize, become brittle and break away from the wire itself. This damage causes the wire to be exposed and be a potential shock and/or fire hazard. There is a reason why light fixtures say “use a maximum __ wattage bulb.”
Safety Checklist
When your electrician from Wiretech Company inspects your home, they will use our safety checklist as a guide to inspect certain areas and identify potential issues. We will:
Check all switches and receptacles for proper operation and secure connections.
Check all light bulbs to make sure they are the proper wattage per the light fixture specifications.
Check all ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) receptacles or circuit breakers for proper operation and secure connections.
Check all arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) circuit breakers for proper operation and secure connections.
Check all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors for proper operation and replace batteries if they are battery operated.
Check all connections and do an inspection of all service equipment, including the service panel, air conditioner disconnects, etc.
Check that proper grounding is in place for the entire house.
Electrical Inspection
The electrician will advise you the items that could be a concern, also while doing this electrical test the electrical technician will provide you with FREE adjustments on required fixtures that may need attention.
What we check
Inspection of lights/switches
Inspection of power points / power outlets
Inspection and testing of smoke alarms / smoke detectors
Visual inspection of the switch board / electrical sub board
Visual inspection of the wiring of your home and switch board
Electrical if you have any concerns on your home or office electrical wiring
Conditions apply. This offer for a free safety inspection is in conjunction with service fee which we charge regardless of whether or not our customers take advantage of the safety inspection. The safety inspection will include a full diagnostic of your home or business which includes but is not limited to safety inspection of smoke alarms, hot water systems, switchboard, power connections to home, inspection of powerpoints and lighting around property, and much more.
Home Electrical Inspection
Time for a home electrical inspection…Can you be sure your home is safe from an electrical fire? General home inspectors are not equipped with the necessary skills or qualifications to make an informed and rigorous inspection on the condition of your home electrical system. They simply do not understand electrical systems in sufficient depth. Therefore they omit important details that would have been picked up by a qualified electrician.
electrical safety inspection.
home electrical inspections will provide you with peace of mind. When your home electrical system and its components are up to a safe standard. In fact, our home electrical inspection incorporates checks on safety, hazards, and risks that exceed the industry standards. Our priority is your safety, therefore our inspections are thorough and our electricians are highly trained.
Electrical Inspection
A thorough Gordon’s Powers Home Electrical Inspection will include the removal, analysis of a number of devices, such as outlets, switches Electrical installations. In doing this we will check:
Check the condition of the device and the wire feeding the apparatus
Check for open grounds
Check for correct polarity
Check the integrity of the connections
Whether it is correctly wired using appropriate wiring methods
A typical inspection will involve checking a selected number of devices. If any problems are spotted, then we investigate further to see if problems exist in other areas. This involves inspecting:
Inspecting the switchboard for proper earth grounding, bonding, and integrity of connections.
Check for the presence of a driven ground/earth rod and the integrity of the connection.
Check critical areas for potential corrosion problems that may result from improper connections or the use of dissimilar metals.
Test the operation of all Residual Current Devices or any other protection device.
Checklist for an Electrical Home Inspection
Electrical Safety Foundation recommends an electrical home inspection on four conditions: upon purchasing a home, when a home is 40 years or older, if an an appliance has been added, and when a home has had a major renovation. In any situation, a licensed electrician must perform the electrical inspection. While an electrician tests several electrical components, in general, a homeowner, renter or homebuyer has several items he can inspect visually
Safety
The National Fire Protection Agency estimates that electrical failure or malfunction caused more than 144,000 house fires between 2007 and 2011. While an electrical inspection may not be required when buying a new home or making major renovations to an existing home, it can reveal electrical deficiencies, and prevent fire hazards.
Electrical Service Panel
Every home has an electrical service panel. It may be located on the exterior of the home, in the garage or basement. The panel contains fuses or circuit breakers. The panel and its components must be reviewed for age, dark or smoky residue, and wear and tear. If the panel contains out-dated round fuses, these should be replaced by a licensed electrician with circuit breakers switches. If the service panel is rusty or worn, it should be replaced as well.
Wiring
In general, a home that contains round fuses at the service panel may give clues to the general age of the home’s wiring. Older homes built before 1950 may contain knob-and-tube wiring. Homes built between 1965 and 1973 may contain aluminum wiring. Both types of wiring have unique safety and performance characteristics and could be more challenging to insure. Homebuyers should be aware of this issue and homeowners should consider replacing the home’s wiring for improved safety and marketability.
Wet Area Outlets
Wet areas, including bathrooms and kitchens, must have ground fault circuit interrupters installed. Additionally, light switches must be several inches away from water. Outside outlets also must GFCIs installed. In general, GFCIs must be installed in any area where water could be present. Homeowners are advised to test GFCIs periodically; homebuyers should check them during the home walk-through before closing.
Interior Outlets and Lighting
Whether a home is up for sale or currently occupied, interior outlets, light switches, appliance cords and GFCIs must be routinely tested and visually inspected. Loose outlets must be tightened or replaced and cords must fit snugly. Outlets should be visually inspected for black smoke and cool to the touch. A licensed electrician must inspect any humming noises or switching sounds around outlets or lighting.
Electrical Safety For Your Home
The most frequently asked questions regarding wiring in old houses are:
Q: What are the signs of potential electrical hazards in the home?
A: Room lights dim when the refrigerator or air-conditioner kicks on; the TV screen shrinks; circuit breakers frequently trip or fuses frequently blow; and outlets or dimmer switches are hot to the touch.
Q: Is an old-fashioned fuse box a hazard?
A: No. Fuses offer the same protection against overloaded wiring as circuit breakers. However, when fuse boxes were common, houses had only 30- to 60-amperes service. Today’s homes need at least 150- to 200-amperes service, so if you have a fuse box and you’ve added any large appliances over the years, get a professional electrical inspection.
Q: How can I tell when an outlet isn’t safe?
A: If it no longer holds a plug snugly, if any parts of the outlet are broken, or if the outlet is hot to the touch, replace the outlet.
Q: Can I add more outlets in the kitchen?
A: Probably. Remember to install ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), and check your homeowner’s insurance policy and local laws to see if a licensed electrician, rather than a handyman, must perform this work.
Q: How long does electrical wiring last?
A: That depends on the type of use and abuse levied against the system over the years. If in doubt, get a complete inspection.