Significant electrical problems appear during home buying and selling, which you should be wary of. During your home inspection, you can find potential safety risks and avoid expensive future repairs. Unfortunately, electrical mistakes are common, and many go unnoticed until it’s too late.
These mistakes harm the safety and efficiency of electrical systems in your home. In this blog, we’ll go over the six most common electric mistakes found in home inspections so you can avoid them.
1- Old Wiring As An Electrical Safety Risk
One of the most common electric mistakes in homes, especially older ones, is outdated wiring. Older homes contain knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring, which no longer meets current safety standards.
Let’s understand these wiring systems.
- Knob-and-tube wiring: Buyers or home inspectors discover this outdated wiring system when they inspect homes from the pre-1950 era. It was acceptable then, but it fails to adhere to current electrical standards and cannot support present power requirements for contemporary household devices.
- Aluminum wiring: During the 1960s and 1970s, aluminum wiring was extensively used in home construction. It tends to overheat and may cause a fire outbreak. It also contracts and expands differently than copper cables, leading to unreliable connections.
When your home inspector identifies outdated wiring, you should begin planning to switch to better electrical setups.
2- Circuit Breakers And Their Efficiency
During house inspections, technicians regularly find electrical problems with damaged circuit breakers and improper installation. Circuit breakers control your electrical system by automatically turning off power during overloading. Faulty or outdated circuit breakers do not protect your electrical system properly.
Some signs of faulty breakers include:
- The electrical system shuts down without apparent reason.
- The controls activate automatically during excessive power usage situations.
- Evidence of melting, burning, or changing colors.
Improper installation can create major safety threats that may cause electrical fires. Experts can easily replace your broken breakers, thus, it is important to seek professional help.
3- Overloaded Circuit Breakers
Home inspections frequently uncover overloaded circuit breakers, one of the common electrical issues in home inspections. Connecting more electronic devices than a circuit can handle will overheat, blow up, or even cause a fire. Extended use of overloaded circuits can harm your electrical system, sometimes beyond repairs.
Common signs of overloaded circuits include:
- Tripped circuits, often and with no plausible reason
- Your lights will flicker while you turn on electrical devices
- Outlets feel unusually warm to the touch
You can protect your circuits by giving each large power-draining appliance its own power line. However, your home needs a professional electrician to check how much each circuit must or can handle.
4- Proper Installation Of GFCI Outlets
Ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets are used to reduce the chances of electrical shocks in specific home areas. These vital electrical devices exist across all living spaces, including restrooms, kitchens, laundry facilities, cellars, and outside spaces. Older homes without GFCI outlets become prone to electric shocks when electricity meets moisture in the home areas.
GFCI outlets recognize electrical imbalances and shut off power quickly to protect users from dangerous shocks. During your inspection, test all Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets around your home to ensure they are stable. Your investment in GFCI outlets pays off because they prevent electrical problems before they become dangerous.
5- Secure Electrical Connections
Many homeowners overlook how loose electrical connections affect their homes, which makes them a substantial risk. Poorly connected wires lead to electrical failures that spark and burn. You may spot inconsistent light flashes alongside hot outlets and malfunctioning appliances when connections become loose.
A licensed electrician should inspect all outlets, switches, and junction boxes for signs of loose connections. Preventing electrical problems reduces future repair expenses.
6- Electrical Panels And Safety Codes
Without the electrical panel, your home cannot receive electrical power. Outdated and poorly installed electrical panels that don’t meet safety standards create serious problems for your home. Unfortunately, many homes have electrical panels that can’t handle the required power levels because they don’t follow current safety regulations.
An inspector will look for:
- Overfilled or smaller-than-required panels.
- Lack of proper grounding or bonding.
- Corroded or damaged components.
Upgrading your old electrical panel costs money, yet it is essential to protect you and your family from electrical hazards.
Conclusion
Electric mistakes are not something you can ignore during a home inspection. Spotting these problems will prevent higher repair costs in the future and lower the threat of electrical accidents. During your home buying or selling process, get expert help to check if your electrical system meets safety standards.
If you’re unsure about the safety of your home’s electrical system or have discovered issues during a home inspection, don’t hesitate to call in the professionals. Total House Inspection’s team will assess all components of your home’s electrical system to determine whether it functions correctly.
Your home safety depends on making the right decision now. Trust the experts at Total House Inspection to identify any electric mistakes and give you peace of mind. Contact us right now to schedule a detailed inspection of your entire home.
