This picture of a residential sub panel shows several problems. First it appears to have previously been located in a garage that has been converted and now covered with a modified cabinet panel.
There are several missing attachment screws, there is no legend of the circuits, the original one is completely inaccurate and faded. There is a modified protection of a breaker that the installer appears to not want turned on. It also appears to have breakers from multiple manufacturers.
I read two articles available in the free library of inspections articles. The first article recalls a garage inspection of particular problems. While at the location the inspector spoke with a neighbor who stated a gragre roof in the same neighborhood collapsed recently from the weight of snow. During his inspection of the target location he noticed modified trusses as well as insufficient joist hangers and incorrect screws being used.
A second article was on a piece of technology called a “Bloom Box” it is essentially a fuel cell with origins in NASA that has been modified to work in a commercial or residential scenario.
The Bloom Box generates electricity by incorporating a fuel source and oxygen to cells that are separated by a metal alloy and create the electricity.
Although it does currently have a working model, the reliability is still a factor as well as the price to build and run. Companies that have adopted the Bloom Box appear to have done so just for public relation reason as it is not yet practical.
CO2 emissions are still a concern, however it does produce significantly less than current energy producing methods. Size will also be an issue as the amount of space needed for an American home take up a large footprint.
This image is of a 100 amp service panel installed on an older single family residence. The panel was manufactured by Square D and has all Square D circuit breakers installed. There are a four issues that are problematic for this unit:
The above image is from a recent inspection. The panel is missing multiple knockouts without without filler plates installed. The dead front does not sit flush and causes a gap around the lower right breaker. The 60 amp breaker on the lower right corner feeds a sub panel in the garage with a 8 awg (copper). The sub panel in the garage is also wired for a generator with a 50 amp breaker and wired with 10 awg (copper)
The above photo is a 100 amp service disconnect panel. The appears to be no issues with this unit. The unit is properly labeled for each breaker. All the screws securing the deadfront are present and properly installed. There are no missing knock outs. The unit is made by Culter Hammer and all breakers installed are from the same manufacturer. All 240V breakers are properly installed with handle ties. There are no signs of the panel arching and there are no sign of moisture etc on the panel and there is also no sign of rusting. There are no damaged breakers on this unit upon inspection
The articles I chose were:
The first article discusses the methods used to transfer energy like coal, natural gas, wind, and others into a more usable form. It also discusses the prices of electricity across the country and why some states are much cheaper and why other states are much more expensive.
The second article discusses the electrical distribution panel and how each component of the distribution panel works.
For my reading and writing assignment I read Edison’s early accident and Electric service panels. Inspecting service panels is the most dangerous part of any home inspection because of the many possible ways of getting electrocuted while inside the panel, ie. Being startled and jerking into panel, loose or improperly installed breakers, improper cover screws puncturing wire insulation. There are almost too many ways of being injured to list. Just remember to have an escape route planned, and do not get in a hurry or become complacent.
Thomas Edison is known as the inventor of the light bulb, but he had many contributions to the rise of household electricity.
Radon gas is an odorless, tasteless cancer causing gas that is a created from the breakdown of uranium that is in the soil. There are no regional, state, local or neighborhood areas that can be predicted safe for radon gas.
EPA studies have shown that radon gas has been linked to lung cancer and can be a cause of up to 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths.
An unsafe level of radon gas in the home has been determined as over 4 picoCuries per liter of air.
There are 2 different methods of testing a home for radon gas. The first is called a passive test which can be done by a homeowner who follows instruction procedures and follow-ups with laboratory testing.
The second method is an active testing of the home by hiring a certified radon testing technician who will provide the equipment and knowledgeable placement of the testing equipment. The active method will provide a more accurate level of the radon and sometimes preferred by the potential home buyer.
2. Plumbing Terms
The training article on plumbing terms not only covered the plumbing terms, but also discussed basic theory on how a plumbing system works starting with potable water supply, drainage, and sewer. What I found interesting in household water supply, was the flow of city utility supplied water from the street to the water meter. I learned the 2 shut off valves which are called; the cooperation stop which is a shut off valve from the city water main to the house water supply. It is not used as much, because it requires tearing up the street pavement to access the valve. The second house supply shut off valve (which is near the street) is the curb stop. The curb stop valve is accessed just below the ground level and is turned off by a special wrench. The curb stop is housed in a curb stop box.
I learned that the main sanitary sewer drain pipe should be at least 6 inches in diameter. Branch pipes should be at least 3 inches in diameter.
Drainage and sewer stacks must be well vented. The vent stacks allow flow of the water waste and should be at least 4 inches in diameter. Another important plumbing fixture is a trap seal to prevent gases from coming back into the home from the drain pipes or water closet. A P trap is the most common trap seal. A S trap in not recommended because vent pressure may cause the water seal to be siphoned off through the S trap seal.
Inspection and Writing Assignment
100A Remote Distribution Panel used as the main service for a rear duplex unit. Main feeder breaker located at the front unit. 8-position panel with no main shut-off. Missing twist-out. Two 20A breakers are unlisted replacements—missing twist-out to accommodate the extra breaker width. Panel not bonded to ground. No ground buss. No indication of earth or supplementary grounding. Neutral wires too tight on buss. Excess line-wire length in panel. Unconnected ground wire loose in panel from NM branch. Underground entrance conduit—incorrect building entrance. All Flex-conduit and NM cable entrance at bottom of the panel implies a covered junction box or conduit transition and/or possible wire splice with the underground conduit. Supplementary grounding on service entrance conduit should be moved to cold water entrance. Panel area interior the wall is dry.
Both articles in this post.
“Electrical Safety” (Unattributed)
With hundreds of people dying and thousands more injured every year, this article on electrical safety sets out to educate us about the misuses and poor maintenance of our electrical habits around our homes.
From the familiar outlets near water sources and trees near power lines to more detailed insights into frayed wiring inside a service panel and defective and high wattage appliances, every paragraph sets out a range of potentially serious problem issues and makes helpful suggestions about what to do about them.
I put extension cords under rugs all the time to prevent tripping, but the article says never do this. It says to treat appliances with respect and care, yet the elements on my toaster oven are speckled with burnt cheese and butter. Guilty! The article covers child safety and even pets sleeping on electric blankets and mice chewing through wires.
Household electrocution is serious business, and this brief article effectively covers a lot of prevention and helpful suggestions.
“Electrical Service Panels”
by Nick Gromicko
Much of this section and that two-hour video covered the service panel. And for good reason. There’s a lot in there, and getting it wrong has the potential to cause massive damage or injury to the occupants of the house. Many of the inspection items in this article are obvious: frayed or nicked wiring, gaping holes in the panel, broken parts. But some of the most dangerous threats are subtler: undersized wiring, unlisted replacement breakers and equipment, and over amped circuits. Interesting to read about Stab-Lok and Pushmatic (from the course) panels. These are some of the first boxes I ever worked on, and disliked for the very problems called out in the text. Since there is so much nuance to inspecting a service panel, I’ve created a check-list from the material in this section and intend to incorporate it into my inspection routine.
Reading Assignment: Barbecue Safety
Barbecue Grills are dangerous and should be used with caution by the homeowner. There are 3 main types of grills in use today: propane, charcoal, and electric.
Propane tanks have led to over 500 fires, and safety guidelines include storing tanks outside only, check tanks for leaks before filling, and never keep a propane grill on a deck or roof, which is illegal.
Charcoal specifically have led to carbon monoxide poisoning, so should always be used in well ventilated areas, and allowed to cool fully, as well as 10 feet away from any building with a water source nearby.
Electric grills are generally safest, but care should be taken to use them with proper amperage, and watch how cords are run from the grill.
Cheers,
Chris
Reading Assignment: Electricity: Origins, Consumption, and Costs
Interesting reading which discusses facts and figures regarding the electric industry, and it’s foundations. I thought incredible that the first utility, California Electric Light Company in 1879, was able to power only 21 lights. And the Three Gorges Dam in China can power up to 3% of power needs for the entire population of the country. We’ve come a long way.
Regarding coal having the largest market share of power generation methods, I know this has declined a lot since the article was written in 2010, and solar/wind have increased their market share. The coal industry has been beaten down recently, as evidenced by the decline of one of the biggest players in the industry, Arch Coal.
Overall good reading, and useful to get a handle on the industry, and how costs are derived for various states.
Cheers,
Chris
Electrical safety is very important when inspecting a service panel. It is always a good idea to evaluate the the area around the service panel before stating is there 3ft clearance in front of the panel – 30in or more in width and 6ft in height. Is there any signs of rust or moisture present, are you wearing your PPE’s that you may need. Safety should be first on the check list.
This GFCI outlet is located just to the side of a bathroom sink. The outlet was tested with a GFCI plug-in tester and results indicated normal functionality. Testing of the trip/reset functions were performed on the outlet face and results indicated the outlet was operational. Upon removal of the face plate and after detaching the outlet from the electrical box, I found that the wiring leading into the box was a minimum of 6” long. Further inspection revealed that all four hot and neutral wires were connected properly via the screw sets, as was the ground wire. I concluded that the outlet was installed properly and fully operational.
The picture above shows a proper main panel and sub panel in a basement. All breakers/are correctly labeled. There are no unused knockouts. And all of the front panel covers have the correct screws holding them in place. The service has a ground rod connection and is also attached to a water pipe for proper grounding. The electrical inspection would also include both of the front/dead plates for observation of the interior of panels.
Essay on electrical panel problems to look for during the electrical inspection. One of the first things to look for is a breaker that is rated to large for the wires used. This allows the wires to get to hot and possibly fail.Also watch for aluminum single strand branch wiring. Double tapping seems to be one of the most common problems seen by an inspector. this is when two wires are attached to a breaker that is designed for only one.And also look for breakers that will fit , but are not designed for a particular box.These are just a few of the things to focus on during a electrical system inspection.
AFCI Tester - Essay
Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters are electrical outlets used in branch wiring to living areas within a home and are designed to protect against fire due to faulty wiring. AFCI testers are designed to provide inspectors with information regarding the operational functionality of AFCI outlets. When plugged into an AFCI outlet, the tester is designed to mimic an arc and trip the circuit. Because certain outlets will not trip without sensing an actual arc, the tester will sometimes fail to trip the circuit. If this occurs, the inspector can manually test the outlet by depressing the test button located on the face of the outlet.
Is was living in the Bay area in Northern California for two years I was crawling attics daily. I can tell everyone this there is still alot of knob and tube wiring in those houses up there.Alot of them are being up graded as we speak. Alot of my jobs got canceled because there would be a short in the system. Therefore I was forced to send my crews home early for the day…The up grade was a big expense
