According to the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission’s report, around 400 electrocution cases are reported every year. A home is your safe haven, but you might be subjecting yourself to danger, unknowingly, by ignoring home inspection.
Get your home inspected once a year to maintain its condition and reduce chances of mishaps.
A home inspector checks the durability of every aspect, from wiring to roofing, of your house to identify areas that threaten your safety. There is a lot that can go wrong with electrical wiring, which is why you should know these common maintenance areas. Let’s begin our inspection with overhead wires.
Overhead Wires
These wires are the source of electricity to your home. Make sure there is no tree branch tangling with the wire or a nest that could become a future problem. Trim the trees surrounding the overhead wires. Keep a close eye on the main connection point of the overhead wire. If the wire is exposed, call your utility company immediately. Uncovered or broken wires are a safety hazard that can shock things with high voltage.
Home Outlet
Keeping an eye on your energy consumption is not only good for your bills, but also for the environment. Buy an outlet tester from any nearby hardware store and get to work. The tester will indicate proper or improper wiring through color codes. Generally, a tester can identify the following electrical problems:
- Open Ground (ungrounded three pong outlet)
- Open Neutral, the outlet has power, but due to switched neutral wire, anything that’s plugged is non-functional
- Open Hot, absence of a ‘hot’ wire or absence of ground and neutral wire, when a live hot wire is present.
- GRD Rev, the three-pong cord lighten up the entire electrical wiring around the house aka an safety hazard that calls for an electrician
- Neu Rev, reversed polarity issues
Cover plates
Covers are essential to mitigate the risk of shocks and sparks; by keeping the damage limited to the electrical box. Check if all the outlets, sockets, junctions, and switches have cover plates, especially ones located in your garage kitchen, and basement.
Extension Cord
If you are using extension cord as a medium to supply electricity to your garage door or water softener, stop immediately. Extension cords are prone to electrical fires, which is why it’s recommended that every appliance has an individual outlet.
Wiring
Exposed, uncapped, and incorrectly terminated wires are to be regarded as live wire, with a high threat of electrocution. Hire an electrician service to mend these broken wires in a safe manner.
Lastly, secure any open electrical box with a cover, to prevent shock hazards or a mice attack on your wires. Install smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarm in every bed room to further improve your house safety. If you have a lose wire, or require switch replacement, repairs, rewiring or surge protection, call RHK Electrical. We are at your service 24/7.