This essay deals with the electrical inspection module.
1st article: Clothes closet lighting.
Potential fire safety issue with an exposed incandescent light fixture that is mounted to close to any potential stored clothing or other flammable materials, such as wool or cotton clothing, due to the fact that these types of bulbs can give off a lot of heat. Also the ceramic base fixtures can become damaged leading to the potential of an electrical shock thru the metal pull chain that many of these fixtures use. Better to use recessed lighting place the appropriate distance from any stored objects.
2nd article: Inspecting Aluminum wiring.
Aluminum single strand wiring was used in home construction roughly between 1965 and 1973 due to the rising cost of copper wire. There are some inherent problems with this wire that the inspector should be aware of. Aluminum wiring is subject to oxidation and galvanic corrosion much faster then copper wiring which can lead to deteriorated connections and the possibility of arching and a fire. Aluminum wire has a higher electrical resistance, so a larger gauge wire vrs copper is required for the same load, this can often be overlooked. Also the presence of this single strand aluminum wire can be an issue with securing insurance on the home.
Electrical Inspection and Writing Assignment
This is a picture of the main service disconnect panel of my house. From reading of the course material and my limited knowledge of electrical systems, everything looks to have the criteria specified. The legend has all breakers accounted for. It is 40 poles max., branch breakers are 150 amp max. for copper and 125 amp max. for aluminum wires. The available amperage, which is the lowest amps listed is 100 amps. Main ratings says it is a standard 120/240 V.A.C., 3 wire, 1 phase, 200 amp max. The panelboard and breakers are made by General Electric and has the U.L. stamp.
This service panel was in a bathroom next to the shower which was a safety issue. The panel had a breaker missing so there was an opening. The panel did not have sufficient amount of clearance as well. Recommended a licensed electrician for repair.
This is a iemens 100 amp panel, I cannot ID the weakest link because I cannot ID the service entrance wire size. This panel has many violation issues, The panel is not flush with the wall and the panel deadfront does not fit proper. There are two double taps on the circuit breaker as well as double taps on the neutral bar. Sleeving has been left on the romex and many of the circuit breakers or over size for the wire feeding the branch circuits. The panel is not bonded. There is no bonding bushing on the connector were the service entrance enters the panel and many of the circuit leaving the panel lack the proper connector were the romex leaves the panel through the knock out. Neutral and grounds share the same lug.
The first article I read was about service panels. Certain safety measures should be taken when removing a service panel cover and inspecting the inside. Many injuries and deaths have occurred when removing the dead front. A cover shouldn’t be removed if there is evidence of moisture.
Inspecting Aluminum Wiring
The second article read was inspecting aluminum wiring. Between 1965 to 1973 solid aluminum wiring was used in place of copper due to coppers rise in prices. Aluminum wiring does not generally last as long as copper. There is a higher risk of poor connections with aluminum wiring which can cause wiring to overheat leading to a fire hazard.
There many ways to reduce heating and cooling cost in your home and as mush as half of your energy cost goes for heating and cooling, Just by installing a ceiling fan uses 80 percent energy then using your air-conditioning. as well as changing and cleaning the filter. Tankless water heaters also save energy and money because of less energy use heating a large volume of water. Switching out your old lightbulbs for incandescent bulbs csn save you 50 to 75 percent in lighting cost. Other little things are sealing and insulating your home for instance insulating your attic hatch door and switch plate and outlets. In the area of plumbing low flow shower head and 1.5 gallon toilet save water and energy. Buying and using ENERGY-STAR appliances and using electronics responsibly. Uninsulated doors and windows also account for about a third of energy loss in your home to take appropriate measures to insulate and cooking smarter you can save energy and money, a micro-wave uses eight percent less energy then a conventional stove. And just by changing the lint trap every time you use the dryer you save money and energy. These simple thing mean a lot of savings! Three deadly mistakes every homeowner should avoid in buying a home is number one not hiring a agent to represent you, Buying a home is a complicated process with technology and laws and being one of the biggest investment in you life at can be very stressful and making the wrong decision can cause you thousands of dollars Thinking you can not afford it is a mistake you should avoid the facts are that real estate values have always risen steady in most markets. Also tax allowances favor homeowners. Even if you credit is not great and you have little money down chances are you can still buy a home. And another sin is getting a cheap inspection. InterNachi inspectors perform the best inspection. They do more and deserve more.
Attached is a 200 amp panel. It appears that each circuit breaker is properly labeled. This will make it safe for when any circuit needs to be worked on.
I inspected a 200 amp electrical panel, and found it to be semi-blocked from view, and completely unable to open due to heavy furniture in front of it. What I did inspect, was that the panel had no areas uncovered, and that panel was affixed to the wall correctly. Inside, the panel was clearly marked 200 amps, and most of the breakers were marked. Some were very light, as markings must have faded. Also said it was approved for aluminum and copper wires.
In bathroom, I found one GFCI and one two pronged outlet. Opened GFCI outlet and checked wiring inside the plastic housing. Appeared correct. Ground was attached clockwise on the green grounding screw. When tested, the other outlet either had power or not as the test button was switched on and off.
The photo was taken of a meter box located on a house in foreclosure. As you can see, the meter has been removed and there have been jumper wires connected across the meter lugs so that power is restored to the house. There is no protective cover over the opening so anyone could reach into the box and possibly receive a fatal shock.
I’m Doing this one on afci and gfci
1st Since 2005 the arc-fault circuit interrupter should be in installed in all bedrooms,dining-rooms,living rooms, dens, play rooms,Ect. that way if theres a purge in electric it will trip acfi. Basically all rooms in the home that doesn’t have water present like kitchens,bathrooms, laundry rooms.
GFCI Ground fault circuit interrupter. In older homes you can find the gfci in the service panel in modern times the gfci is usual accessible at the receptacles so you can reset it there instead of the service panel. it usually up stream of the outlets so when it trips it trips the entire room They can be found in craw spaces, kitchens, bath rooms, outside receptacles, hot tubs garages are several places you should find a gfci.
After completing the course on how to perform a residential home inspection, my knowledge of electrical systems has greatly increased. I was admittedly very uneducated when it came to anything electrical before taking this course. It was interesting to see some of the history of residential wiring and electrical systems, and how it has evolved over the years to meet consumer demands as well as keep people safe in their homes. I especially appreciated the physical demonstrations and pictures of incorrect wiring practices and defects within and around an electrical panel. The vocabulary and description of materials in this course will be incredibly useful when performing inspections and writing reports for clients.
The first article I reviewed was the Electrical Terms entry, which defined Voltage, Amps, Resistance and Power. It also explained the relation from one to another, and the equations used to calculate each reading. One basic equation is Ohm’s law, which states that I (Current) = V (Voltage) / R (Resistance). This equation is used to describe how power is calculated for a specific device.
The second article I read was AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters) Testers. It described the instruments used to test the capability of AFCI receptacles. Essentially, the tester simulates an Arc fault, and tests the ability of the circuit to trip itself. Obviously, if a circuit were to not trip under this test, it should be reported as defective and recommended to be replaced.
In my 5 photos you will see my own personal main panel. You will notice 1 screw from the dead front missing. You will also see that the neutral on the SEC is properly labeled with white tape.Also the ground is labeled with green tape. You only see 1 G.F.C.I. breaker in this box, that is dedicated to my swimming pool. I have G.F.C.I. devices located throughout my home. You do not see any A.F.C.I. breakers due to the fack this panel was installed when the house was built in 1993. Also you see that the panel is labeled throughout. This panel was installed by my buddy who is a Local #38 electrician, that is why you see the beautiful conduit work. That is not typically done in new construction homes due to cost. Thank you, Brian Such.
My first essay is on A.F.C.I. breakers. Introduced in 2005 that all bedrooms, family rooms, dens, and basically all living space, except kitchen and bath have these breakers. If propery wired they will detect arcs in the wiring and turn off before a potential fire can start. You can not share a neutral on these breakers, meaning if there was a #12/3 wire run to feed two different devices you can not share that neutral when using a A.F.C.I. breaker.
My second essay is on G.F.C.I devices and breakers. This stands for ground, fault, circuit, interupter. This is when the hot conductor leaks current to the neutral thus causing a short circuit. You can install a 15 or 20 amp breaker, depending on wire size. This breaker would then protect the whole branch circuit. Or you can install a G.F.C.I. device first in line of your circuit. Then all other devices down stream would be connected to the load end thus protecting them as well. Thanks, Brian Such.
I just completed the article regarding ACFI testers. I question the fact that their use is promoted since they seem to be unreliable. Even the study material states to use the test button on the AFCI breaker itself. In addition I read the article on Aluminum wire. It boggles my mind to think of the number of homes built between 1965-1973 with the single strand aluminum wire that can potentially have problems. That being said I am curios to know how many people have rewired there homes versus have no idea of the potential dangers in their walls.
I Inspected the main service panel. It has a 200amp service, all breakers are labeled. The panel is missing 3 of the 6 hold down screws. It contains tied double pole brakes for 240 volt appliances. It also has a gfci breaker for the garage outlets. I would recommend installing the proper hold down screws in my report.
I read the article on AFCI Testers. I think these tools are a must have for inspectors. With the codes now requiring AFCI protection for most rooms of the home, inspectors will be running into more and more of these. I think it will be better to test with the tool since in simulates an actual arc witch show the system is working properly. As opposed to just pushing the button on the breaker that tests the internal circuitry of the breaker itself. Tester is at the top of my new tool list this year.
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