The second most common type of problem reported nationwide by members of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) are problems with home electrical systems. In fact, almost 20 percent of home inspectors polled said that improper wiring was the most common problem found in their inspections. The U.S. Fire Administration also reports that 485 Americans die and an additional 2,305 are injured each year as a result of electrical fires.
Parts of a residential electrical system are complex and, unless you have special knowledge, will require a licensed electrician or the power company to repair. Other parts of the system, however, can be diagnosed and even repaired by homeowners.
Leave it to a pro:
The service drop or service lateral: If the electrical wires come into your house from an overhead cable, you have a service drop. If your service comes in under ground you have a service lateral. Since problems with service entries involve high voltage they must be handled by the power company or a licensed electrician. The power company’s responsibility typically ends at the connection to your house. For service drops this is at the weather head, for service laterals it is at the meter.
The electrical panel box: This is the fuse or breaker panel that distributes the electrical current throughout your house. Different parts of the house will be on different circuits. The National Electrical Code requires that the panel be labeled to indicate what rooms each breaker or fuse serves. Unfortunately, many older panel boxes are incompletely or inaccurately labeled. Simple devices to assist in properly labeling panel boxes are available at home improvement and hardware stores.
Unless you are completely comfortable with the workings of your house’s electrical system, repairs to the panel box are best left to a licensed professional. Common problems are defective breakers, overloaded circuits, improper wire sizing, double tapping (two wires on one breaker or fuse) and improperly wired sub-panels. If any of this does not make sense to you, do not attempt repairs yourself.
Improperly wired switches and outlets: These problems can result in constant tripping of breakers or blowing of fuses, dimming of lights when appliances are turned on or excessive heating of switches and outlets. Although the average homeowner will know these problems exist, proper diagnosis of their cause may require special tools and/or knowledge. Because of the safety concerns involved with electrical problems, analysis of their source is usually best left to a licensed electrician.
What you can do:
Inspect your wiring: Although much of the wiring in a house is hidden behind walls, some wires will be visible in attics, basements and crawl spaces. As much as possible without risking your safety, perform a visual inspection of your wiring. Some common problems to look for are frayed wires, wires that have been chewed by rodents, junction boxes that do not have metal covers on them and wire splices that are not contained in a covered junction box.
Use extension cords wisely: Extension cords are intended for temporary, not permanent use,. In many older homes, the number of outlets may require their use more often. Never overload extension cords. Check extension cords periodically to make sure they are not hot. If they are hot, either replace them or reduce the number of appliances installed on them.
Keep combustibles away from bulbs: Light bulbs, especially halogens, get very hot and can ignite clothes, towels or other combustible items.
Check outlets: Simple plug testers are available for less than 10 dollars at most home improvement and hardware stores. Although it is not foolproof, plugging a tester into each of the outlets in your house will generally give you an accurate indication of improperly wired outlets or circuits. Repair of problems found is best left to the professional.
Be alert: Simply using common sense can go a long way toward protecting your home from an electrical fire. Some common conditions to be on the alert for are dimming lights, frequently tripping breakers or blown fuses, and switches or outlets that are hot to the touch.
Install safety devices: To increase electrical safety against both fire and shock, consider installing ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) receptacles in all wet locations (bathrooms, kitchen counters, exterior, laundry rooms, garages, wet bars, basements and crawls spaces, whirlpool tubs). Also consider replacing breakers serving bedrooms with arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breakers. Again, unless you have special skills, these installations are best performed by a licensed electrician.
For more information on electrical safety visit www.electrical-safety.org or call the U.S Fire Administration at 301-447-1000.
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