I inspected this electrical panel while doing a ride-along with a certified inspector. I took a picture of the panel to show that the owner’s belongings were blocking access to the panel. Normally, this would prohibit access to the panel but the owner was present and was able to move the shelf out of the way. When the panel cover was removed, all wiring appeared to be updated recently and there were no recommendations for improvement. I did include on the report my recommendation to keep personal belongings out of the way of the panel for easy access.
The aluminum pig-tails at the service panel show evidence of overheating at the shrink wrap. Evaluation by a qualified electrician is recommended to determine the best method of remedy.
Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it as time goes by. And you’ll feel more comfortable. That panel is pretty simple for the most part. The ones you have to be really careful with are the FPE ZINSCO panel covers as some of them have a curved lip that sets in near the main bus bar. That one nearly killed me so always protect yourself and don’t mess with those panels (my take)
I chose to test an outlet in my home. I used a outlet tester to see if there was any errors. It turned out that this outlet is loose in the box and had a reversed polarity socket. I would recommend that a qualified electrical person check and repair as needed.
The subject I chose to write on was electrical because I just finished reading a ton about it. This is a extensive coarse and I did learn a ton more than I knew. Definitely learned a lot on safety and what an inspector is or is not required to do. I learned a lot about proper installation and what not to do.
Here i have a picture of a panel with alluminum wiring done to the house. Clearly identified on the wire and is used for most of the home. In this situation i found electrical outlets that had signs of over heating to the point that the face of the outlet had melted. It was recomended that a licenced electrician evalute and estimate cost of repair. Also noted some other handy man wiring that was unsafe with no GFCI`s.
For my written excersise i looked at a bunch of the images in the gallery and found one in perticular that i thought was interesting. It was on the snow melting system witch states you do not need a gfci on a recepticles that are not redily accessible. It showed an image of one under the soffit that does not need to be on a GFCI?
This image is of a exterior receptacle on a deck. The receptacle is properly wired, it function tested good and it is installed in a proper outdoor weather resistant box.
This image is of a remote distribution panel in my own home. Honestly, I don’t ever remember opening it in the past. The person that owned this house before me installed it and I was expecting the worst when I took off the cover,
( this guy was famous for taking short-cuts). Much to my surprise, everything
was correctly installed, neatly wired, properly bonded and the panel enclosure was grounded. All I found was a large knock out missing in the bottom of the box and a large build up of dust on the bottom. This will be an easy fix.
I chose to read an article on abrasive blasting for mold remediation. I found the method using dry ice especially interesting because of the three pronged effect on the mold as well as the minimizing of debris. The HEPA vacuuming that is required to complete the process make me wonder if it is really more practical or cost effective then the spraying and encapsulating process. I suppose each method has its place depending on the portion of the structure affected, and what the function of that area is.
The article on electric fence inspections was interesting. I found it amazing that some people have been killed by electric fences from what could only be home made fence energizers. Why would anyone make an energizer when you can get brand new UL listed units from any farm and garden store for between $50 and $150? Some of these can burn right through grasses growing around the conductors without delivering a lethal dose to even a baby lamb all while energizing 5 to 10 miles of fence.
Gfci recpictial, located in the main washroom. The annual test of reset and tester switch, was postive. The overall condition is good, plugs make a secure connections.
Remove recpictial all conductors where properly size and connected properly
This electricity meter box is using the older style of fuses and one fuse cover is missing, this should be replaced before the power is reconnected. Some of the wiring connected to the meter box is of the older style cloth type which should be replaced by an electrician. The electricity meter box does not have a door to enclose the meter box which should be recitified.
Reviewed a picture of a wire inspection tool. The brand name of this tool amprobe. In the picture the meter is reading a hot neutral is reversed, it advises to check the wires
AFCI tester indicators are portable devices designed to test AFCI functionality. They create waveform patterns similar to those produced by actual arc faults, thereby causing working AFCIs to trip. Ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) indicators and are of questionable effectiveness but they are cheaper than AFCI and that is why they are widely used to as AFCI testers.
This is a damaged 110 plug outlet in a dwelling(or living room). It is not Arc fault protected. There are many hazards to this problem. Not only is this accessible to children reaching into the outlet, any slight movement of any broken piece could cause a potential fire. Knowing that this plug is not protected, if any arc was to occur the breaker may or may not possibly trip until the hazard is too late to resolve. Also, the plug cover is split. I definitely recommend changing the outlet and plug cover immediately before a serious hazard occurs.
I was reading the article “Electrical Service Panels from Hell” and when I’m looking at a panel I like to see neatness right off. Of course, I want to check other defects that may be possible but, an electrician in my opinion who takes the time to make his or her job neat, also more than likely will do the rest correctly and as neat (but not always). A number of things I’m going to look for but, just a few to mention are, any grounded or ungrounded conductors passing along any bus bars, bushings and connectors properly installed to protect any wires coming into the panel, making sure the ground and neutral are connected at the main service panel but, not any sub panels, nicked wires, legend properly labeled, conductor sizes are adequate to meeting breaker requirements, etc… They are many things to consider and to look for but, from my experience I like nice and neat throughout the whole building process. From the rough-in to the finish.
The component that I inspected was a federal pacific panel.One picture that I took was the panel label to confirm that it was a “FederalPacific” panel. A Federal Pacific panel is a fire hazard and should be replacedby a licensed electrician. I did notopen dead cover, seemed as if a moot issue due to need of whole panel swap.
Sub Panel Defect.
After the electrical panel training on Internachi I decided to check out the electrical panels in my house.
I found out the sub panel was missing a breaker or more than likely it was just missing the block out.
I am trying to sell the home right now so I am sure the inspector will pick up on that item and let us know that it needs to be repaired.
There are simple electrical safety tips for children that are important in preventing serious injury or possible death.
Never stick your fingers or any object into an electrical outlet or light bulb socket.
Keep fingers and other objects out of small appliances, such as toasters, even if the appliance is off.
Never use an appliance near a sink, bathtub or other source of water.
Keep electrical wires and appliance cords away from sources of heat.
Keep electrical cords away from sinks, bathtubs and other sources of water.
Never touch any electrical appliance or device, such as a light switch, hair dryer or toaster, if you are touching water.
Never pull an electric plug out of the wall outlet by yanking on the electric cord.
Unplug an electrical appliance before cleaning it.
Never use any electrical appliance if you are wet.
If you see a worn, frayed or damaged electrical cord, tell an adult immediately
