Your home is one of, if not the largest investment you will ever make. For this reason, there are many factors that go into deciding which home you want to buy. It is important that the home fits your needs; has the right number of bedrooms, bathrooms, fits your style, and is in a good neighborhood. There is one important area, however, that homebuyers (and sellers) often overlook – the electrical system.
Before selling a home, homeowners should do a thorough inspection of the electrical system to ensure that there are no problems that will be identified during the home inspection. Buyers should definitely have the electrical system inspected to ensure that the home is safe and in compliance with the National Electrical Code standards. This is particularly important with older homes.
Common Home Electrical Problems
There are a number of common electrical issues to look out for when buying or preparing a home for sale. Here are some of the major ones:
- Improper (unapproved) wires buried underground: Be sure the wires buried underground are approved, such as rigid conduit. Otherwise, you may accidentally cut a wire while digging.
- Wire straps nailed too tightly: Wire straps help keep wires from hanging loosely, but when nailed too tightly, they can pinch the wires and cause them to start coming apart.
- Loosely connected wires/panels: Check over the house to ensure there are no loose wires hanging around, or loosely connected breakers.
- Overloaded outlets: This can occur temporarily such as during the holidays, but some homes have a permanent problem with overloading. In particular, watch out for outlets where more than one appliance is connected. Appliances take up a lot of juice and each one should have their own separate outlet.
- Use of extension cords as permanent wiring: Extension cords are often used temporarily as well during the holidays or other special events. But watch out for homes where they are using them for ongoing wiring purposes. In general, this is not a safe practice. It is better for a new receptacle to be installed to accommodate an ongoing need.
- Oversized fuses and breakers: Sometimes, people become frustrated with fuses that blow multiple times and replace them with larger fuses or breakers. The problem is that oversized fuses can overheat the wiring and pose a fire hazard.
Inspecting your electrical system is very important and shouldn’t be done once at home purchase. You should inspect your home’s electrical system twice a year as a maintenance plan to avoid hazards caused by worn wiring and panels. Call a qualified electrician to schedule a home electrical inspection.
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