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Electrical, Electrical inspections, Electrical problems, Electrical codes, electrical city standards codes regulations FPE General electric, cutter hammer, breakers wiring, electrical hazard, Plumbing, plumbing inspection, plumbing codes, regulations, City codes, what is electrical codes, requirements, home electrical inspection, home inspections, electrical problems, cost to repair, service, main panel, main service panel, electrical service
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After 20 years in the electrical industry I have seen many electrical problems overlooked by
home inspections says Bob Charvoz the president of AAPI. All of our inspectors have to be trained well beyond the normal training that all other common inspectors are. We conduct an inspection much more in depth than what is required and what other inspection company normally consider standard. A well educated inspector can save you thousands in future repairs after you close on your new property.
An electrical inspection is an inspection which will help ensure that all electrical systems and wires in a building meet legal safety standards. There is a national electric code, which the inspector may refer to when determining whether a certain electrical installation is acceptable. In some cases, an electrical inspection, or even multiple new construction inspections, will be included with an electric permit review on new construction.
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We found that this panel had many problems, one of which could cause an electrical fire in the panel. Can you spot the double wired breaker. The circuit showed signs of melting insulation and past arcing.
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This is the same panel as above. See if you can spot another problem. It has an unmatched breaker in the panel, the one with the paint on it. This breaker is not for this brand of panel and does not fit. it has been arcing and burning in the panel for years. The present owner had an inspector inspect the property when he bought it, the inspector missed it and the sellers are paying for it now. Cost $1,200.00
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OK, here’s another example. The power company meter reader has looked at this every month for the past 3 years. The home owner had the property inspected by the Realtors favorite inspector, oh he’s really good, the Realtor said. The service connections have loose insulation, anybody can see that, but didn’t. Look again. Do you see the melting insulation at the power compay’s cable. We identified this problem and as the power company said “Prevented a fire and power loss at the connections.”
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Here is a good example of a Knob and Tube wiring system. This is the type of wiring systems most homes have when build in the 30’s 40’s and 50’s. Your inspector will look for any signs that this type of system is still in uses in the home your buying. Can be a fire hazard.
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Badly burned breaker panel found at a vacant property.
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This is one of the most common problems we find at most all structures. The trees and bushes are all over the service cable. This can pull the service cable right off the house during a storm and high winds. You may want to go out and check yours right now.
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Main meter base has hole in wall. When box was removed found that main wiring leads had cuts in the insulation, could cause a fire.
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We found breaker burnt on the back side connection to the buss bar, could have caused a fire.
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With our company you get a well trained professional inspector digging into the electrical system looking past the surface to the heart of the electrical system. Most Inspectors don’t receive the training that we provide anywhere else.
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FPE and Zinsco electrical breakers
Federal Pacific Electric "Stab-Lok" service panels and breakers are a latent hazard and can fail, leading to electrical fires. The problem is that some double-pole (240-Volt) FPE circuit breakers and possibly also some single-pole units simply may not work. We also have reports that independent of the breaker problems, there have been panel and panel-bus fires and arcing failures in some equipment. The failure rates for these circuit breakers were significant and are documented in the CPSC study.
FPE is not the only problem. Other manufacturers such as the Zinsco brand are also prone to failure. During a typical year, home electrical problems account for 67,800 fires, 485 deaths, and $868 million in property losses. Home electrical wiring causes twice as many fires as electrical appliances. - United States Fire Administration.
Some electrical systems are more dangerous than others depending on age, type of components and overall system maintenance. All electrical systems should be checked regularly to find small problems before they become larger problems or even fail resulting in fire.
It is recommended that routine inspections be performed on electrical equipment to help reduce the possibility of equipment failure
SIGNS OF TROUBLE
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1. Flickering lights
2. Smell of burning electrical devices such as plastic
receptacles, receptacle covers, circuit breakers,
or electrical wiring
3. If you have noticed any of the trouble signs, have a qualified
electrician determine the cause of the problem.
DO NOT TRY TO DO IT YOURSELF. You could be electrocuted or you could make the electrical equipment
more unsafe by disturbing it.
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