Electrical

The Smart Inspectors enjoy wiring quite a bit!  The electrical system of your home starts at the service entrance, goes through the electrical meter, and branches out to your appliances from the main electrical panel.  There are many ways that electrical systems can fail.  Firstly, the building standards are constantly changing, so what was once acceptable may no longer be safe now that years of testing certain products have passed.  For example, aluminum wiring, used in the late 60’s and early 70’s, is no longer an accepted building practice (although there are ways of adapting it to the current standards).  Likewise, older brands of electrical panels such as Zinsco or Northern Electric have been recalled and deemed fire hazards.

Any home, even new construction, can be susceptible to other electrical deficiencies.  For example, “double tapping” is loading more than one conductor onto the same breaker and is absolutely not an acceptable building practice.  Also, tapping power before the main breaker is an extremely dangerous method of wiring; however, The Smart Inspectors have found it on properties before.

The branch circuits throughout your home will also be inspected.  Common deficiencies include outlets that are not properly wired, missing ground fault control interrupter (GFCI) within 6ft of a water source, and even faulty wiring junctions that can lead to potential fires.  Long story short, electrical systems are extremely dangerous yet necessary for any modern home.  Have The Smart Inspectors perform a quality home inspection to determine if your new home’s electrical system is safe.