Electrical Issues on a home Inspection

One of the most common findings on a home inspection is electrical issues. They can range from minor to major. In the picture above you can see that the wire going into the fuse is scorched and overheated. This would be a major issue as it is a fire hazard. It is our job as home inspectors to not only find issues but also determine how serious they are. In the case above an electrician will need to provide further evaluations and make immediate repairs. Which in this case will mean not only determining what is causing the overheating wire but will also likely mean upgrading the old fuse box and installing a modern breaker panel.

Another more common thing we find on home inspections is issues with electrical outlets. In the picture above the GFCI outlet is bad. Meaning that at some point the GFCI outlet tripped but will no longer reset. This of course is not a hazard but it means that there will be no power to the outlet. The good news is that this is a simple fix, to simply install a new GFCI outlet.

Another common issues we find with GFCI outlets is what I refer to as faulty GFCI’s, this is when the outlet(s) will not trip as intended. This means that the said faulty outlets(s) do not have the required protection, this is a shock and safety hazard. Again this is a simple and relatively inexpensive fix , simply replacing the faulty GFCI outlets.

As home inspectors part of what we are looking for is signs that non qualified contractors have worked on the home. In the case above someone got the smart idea to double lug the main panel lugs to add additional circuits. This is usually encountered when the electrical panel has no more room for additional breakers. This is a condition that will need to be immediately addressed by a licensed and qualified electrician. Again this is a relatively simple and not very expensive fix. The contractor will simply need to remove the additional wires.

We at North Bay Inspection appreciate you taking the time to read our blog and hope that it had created an educational opportunity. If your buying or selling property give North Bay Inspection a call today at (707)649-8700.