While scheduling an electrical inspection before purchasing a new home is a must, many people fail to do so. This can prove to be extremely dangerous considering faulty electrical distribution and lighting accounted for 10% of house fires and 19% of resulting civilian deaths between 2013 and 2017. Scheduling routine electrical inspections can help prevent serious injuries and fatal accidents.
In this piece, we’ll go over the telltale signs that your home needs an electrical inspection and what a thorough home electrical inspection involves.
Signs You Need to Schedule an Electrical Inspection
Here are the signs you need to immediately schedule an electrical inspection:
Blown Fuses and Tripped Circuit Breakers
The circuit breakers and fuses in your house are meant to protect your appliances from electrical surges and fluctuations.
If any of the fuses have blown or if the circuit breakers have tripped, you should schedule an electrical inspection to detect what the problem is.
Strange Smell
If there’s a burning smell coming from an electrical outlet, fuse box, or any other appliance connected to an electrical circuit, you should consider scheduling an electrical inspection.
If you recently purchased a new appliance and there’s a steady burning smell every time you use it, you should schedule an inspection.
Sounds From Sockets or Switches
Any strange sounds coming from electrical outlets indicate loose connections, faulty wires, or some other electrical issue. You’ll need to immediately contact a professional to take a look at it.
Flickering or Dim Lights
Your light fixtures shouldn’t be flickering at any point in time. If they do, it may be because of another appliance being connected to the same circuit.
You should immediately have an electrician look at both the appliance and the circuit to eliminate any possible issues in the future.
Hot Sockets and Switches
It’s perfectly normal for outlets and switches to warm steadily. However, if any of them become extremely hot, you should take them as a warning sign and have a professional electrician look at them.
Home Electrical Inspection Checklist
Here’s a rundown of everything a typical but thorough home electrical inspection checklist involves:
- Verifying proper light bulb wattage
- Checking for switch and wall outlet condition and operation
- Investigating shock or electrocution hazards
- Verification of the proper operation of arc fault circuit interrupters
- Checking all security lighting systems and fixtures
- Confirmation of grounding systems
- Validating appropriate protection from an electrical surge
- Verifying smoke detector placement
- Testing smoke detectors
- Testing carbon monoxide detectors
- Inspection of the electrical panel for amps, appropriate labels, and operation
- Examining outdoor electrical systems
- A detailed, prioritized report on all areas of attention concerning the electrical system of your home
If you’re looking to hire a residential electrician in the Bay Area, you’ve come to the right place.
We are a fully licensed and bonded residential and commercial electrical contractor that strives to give you safe and high-quality electrical services. All our electrical work is performed by trained professionals who know their job inside out.
To schedule an electrical inspection with a professional, give us a call at (510) 648-1465.
