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The Importance of Regular Electrical Safety Inspections for Your Upstate Home

Having an electrical home inspection done on your property should be a high priority. The electrical system has a hand in nearly every function performed in your house. This means periodic inspection and testing is necessary because all electrical installations deteriorate due to a number of factors such as damage, wear and tear from normal use, corrosion, excessive electrical loading (overload), aging and environmental influences.

An electrical inspection will:

• Reveal if any of your electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded
• Find any potential electric shock risks and fire hazards
• Identify any defective electrical work, damage or deterioration
• Highlight any lack of earthing or bonding
• Assess the suitability of switch gear and control gear
• Ensure adequate circuit protection is installed

Electricity runs behind the scenes, inside the walls of our home, allowing us a great variety of modern comforts.  However, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), electrical problems are the leading cause of property damage in home structure fires.

In addition, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) identifies small appliances plugged into inadequate or improper home wring as the leading cause of accidental electrocutions.

These safety hazards can be easily identified, addressed and prevented with a home inspection. It is important for the safety of your home and it can help you save energy and reduce costs!

Electrical Home Inspection:

So what in detail will an electrician do during the home inspection?

• In the breaker box, check the breakers for proper capacity, aging and unusual heat development, make sure all screws are tightened and check for a match of breaker specification and wiring.
• In the house, check that all receptacles are properly grounded (earthing) and for wear and tear. Check for unusual voltage drop and heat development under load. Where ground fault interrupters (GFI) are installed ensure proper function.
• Check some of your hooked up appliances and equipment including extension cords for proper cabling, looking for pinched and kinked cables and exposed wires, and checks for damaged plugs including the grounding pin where applicable.

The inspection should however not stop here. The closest inspector is you, the home owner and operator of the electrical system. Therefore if you notice any of the following you should understand that the electrical system is deteriorating and will cause functional and more important safety problems.

• If you feel a mild shock or tingle when touching an appliance, a ground fault in the appliance or the improper
  wiring may be a cause. Yes, and when you get shocked immediate action is required.
• You should occasionally check the area around your ceiling light fixtures for warmth because not all fixtures are
  well insulated. Hint: discoloration around a ceiling light fixture might be heat development and not just dust.
• Flickering lights may be a sign of a defective or loose wiring or switch. And often it’s just a loose light bulb.
• Light switches or receptacles that work only intermittently are a sign of wear and tear. The wiring may be loose or the device may be cracked internally.
• If a plug is loose in a receptacle, it can pose a problem as well. There is the problem of inadequate contact resulting in excessive heat development and if the plug partially falls out, an unsuspecting individual could accidentally receive a shock when unplugging the cord
• If you notice a burning odor coming from any outlets, switches or from an electrical devices turn the power off at the electrical panel. The problem may be a faulty device, but it could also be a wiring or overload problem. A burning smell is a serious issue because it could indicate the start of an electrical fire.
• And last but not least any receptacle or connected electrical cord/plug that is warm to the touch is a serious warning sign of an electrical problem.

As we see just from the length of the list of topics to watch out for, we, the operators are doing most of the inspections daily based on use and what you can see, feel and smell. Your electrician / inspector will take care of what we don’t see and where specific tools and equipment is needed to check for and reveal electrical problems.

Contact us or your trusted electrician for any questions and concerns and have a home inspection done.

Hints:

• Check out our coupon and specials offering a free inspection with any new Carolina Comfort Plan
• and our flyer “Electrical Inspection Safety & Periodic Testing” has a 10% Rebate of any electrical repair. Just print the PDF and present to the technician doing the work.