October 18, 2016
Electrical Safety Inspection
Electrical Inspection is Important Before Buying a Home
Before buying or renting a home, an electrical inspection must always be one of your top priorities. It’s an indispensable part of evaluating a home, a commercial space or a public utility area, whether it is ready for immediate occupancy or needs some quick repairs.
This helps to identify any potential electrical, fire or shock hazards in your home. It is a basic visual inspection but does not guarantee there are no other issues in your home.
Electrical Safety Inspections
An electrical home inspection provides a thorough examination of your entire electrical system, ensuring all electrical wires, systems, and components, such as appliances in your home, meet legal safety standards. The National Electrical Code (NEC) is the code that all electricians operate under when examining your home.
The Electrical Safety Foundation recommends electrical home inspections:
- When purchasing a home.
- When a home is 40 years or older.
- When adding an appliance.
- When a home has had a major renovation.
An electrical home inspection is important for the safety of your home, offering peace of mind by:
- Ensuring the safe operation of electrical components in your home.
- Identifying common electrical mistakes made by contractors and previous DIY homeowners.
- Recognizing outdated wirings such as aluminum or knob and tube.
- Identifying electrical wiring and components that may have degraded over time.
- Spotting oversized fuses or breakers that could lead to the fire.
- Allowing for the correction of fire and safety hazards.
- Helping you save energy and reduce costs.
- Meeting insurance risk assessment inspections requirements.
- Letting you know the electrical in a new home is safe before you purchase it.
An electrical home inspection from Mr. Electric covers:
- Verification of proper light bulb wattage.
- Switch and wall outlet operation and condition.
- Shock or electrocution hazards.
- Verification arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) are operating properly.
- A check of all safety and security lighting.
- Confirmation of grounding systems.
- Validation of appropriate surge protection.
- Verification of the proper placement of smoke detectors.
- Testing of smoke detectors.
- Testing of carbon monoxide detectors.
- Inspection of the electrical panel for appropriate labels, amps, and operation.
- An examination of outdoor electrical systems.
- A detailed, prioritized report on all areas of attention concerning the electrical system of your home.
The Importance of Electrical Inspection
Periodic inspection and testing are necessary because all electrical installations deteriorate due to a number of factors such as damage, wear and tear, corrosion, excessive electrical loading, aging and environmental influences. Electricity can be seen as an ‘invisible danger’ that can cause people to have shocks, burns or even death, as well as severe damage to properties, fires, and explosions.