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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Virginia Beach, VA
    Posts
    123

    Default My place passed an electrical inspection????

    Just to level set this tale of woe, I must tell all of you that we have been living in this home for 5 years now. It is a circia 1970's ranch complete with Aluminium wiring and a split bus ITE panelboard.

    On a previous journey into the electrical wiring in the garage had discovered a receptacle for a welder had been tapped onto the electrical dryer receptacle. That led to a discovery that the dryer breaker had blown apart and fused one leg constant hot regardless of the handle setting.

    Well the adventure continued this weekend. I went to move some junk and noticed a handy-box had been mounted to the side of one of the attic joists. I also noticed that the knock outs for the box had not been replaced and the conductor was fed through open holes.

    No big deal, scoot up to Home Depot and pick up two external clamps, fix it in a jiff.

    NOT SO! Turns out that the box was mounted to the joist with one partially sunk wood screw and was just left hanging there. The receptacle was a copper only recep, which had the neutral clip melted open and the neutral conductor chared for about 1/2 an inch.

    The feed for this handy box originated in a ceiling box along with five other cables. Four of which were aluminium, the other, copper of course. That was all fine because, there were no wire nuts, just burnt tape and melted insulation.

    Moral of the story, the next time I need something in the garage, I'm sending my 5 yr. old nephew out to get it. That way I can't find anything wrong to ruin my weekend!



    OREP Insurance

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Southern Vancouver Island
    Posts
    4,607

    Default Re: My place passed an electrical inspection????

    Did an electrician inspect your wiring? Or was this a home inspection prior to purchase? A home inspection doesn't give the house a pass or a fail.

    A home inspector should have told you that you had Aluminum branch circuits.
    He should then have told you to have all connections to fixtures and breakers inspected, and repaired if necessary, by a qualified electrician.

    Now if he saw the receptacle for the welder, he should have looked for a dedicated breaker for that receptacle in the panel. But the actual connection, no he could only discover that defect by turning off the dryer and testing for power at the mystery outlet with a voltage sniffer.

    That mess in the attic, was it visible?

    John Kogel, RHI, BC HI Lic #47455
    www.allsafehome.ca

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Virginia Beach, VA
    Posts
    123

    Default Re: My place passed an electrical inspection????

    Quote Originally Posted by John Kogel View Post
    Did an electrician inspect your wiring? Or was this a home inspection prior to purchase? A home inspection doesn't give the house a pass or a fail.

    A home inspector should have told you that you had Aluminum branch circuits.
    He should then have told you to have all connections to fixtures and breakers inspected, and repaired if necessary, by a qualified electrician.

    Now if he saw the receptacle for the welder, he should have looked for a dedicated breaker for that receptacle in the panel. But the actual connection, no he could only discover that defect by turning off the dryer and testing for power at the mystery outlet with a voltage sniffer.

    That mess in the attic, was it visible?
    John, I'm not picking on the inspector or the quality of the inspection. I know you guys can't pull covers or open up wiring cabinets. The handy box was attached to an attic joist in the garage. It was exposed to view. (My return key is not working so please bare with the run on paragraph) It is obvious to me that the work was pure DIY trash. The dining room branch circuit was cut and the handy box and receptacle were inserted. The receptacle for the welder looked fine and if I had not went to remove it, I never would have found out that it stayed hot with the breaker off. I never ceases to amaze me how reckless folks can be with electricity. Of course I'm almost as guilty, I know the panelboard is an ITE split bus board and yet I haven't replaced it. Only because I just don't have the money. This post was just meant as a funny poke at you guys being blamed for everything. I guess it came out wrong.


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    St Paul, MN
    Posts
    1,630

    Default Re: My place passed an electrical inspection????

    Quote Originally Posted by Donald Farrell View Post
    I know you guys can't pull covers or open up wiring cabinets.
    While association SOPs don't generally require inspectors to open the panels most good inspectors do.

    MinnesotaHomeInspectors.com
    Minnesota Home Inspectors LLC
    ASHI #242887 mnradontesting.com

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Bennett (Denver metro), Colorado
    Posts
    1,461

    Default Re: My place passed an electrical inspection????

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Rowe View Post
    While association SOPs don't generally require inspectors to open the panels most good inspectors do.
    Only InterNACHI doesn't require opening the pane. That is a huge oversight in their SoP.

    If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

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