Home electrical inspections are designed to make sure your electrical systems are safe. That’s why they’re required when you buy or sell a home.
In Washington State, inspectors check general circuitry, AFCI and GFCI protections, wiring methods, services, and more to make sure everything is ship-shape. (You can take a look at the Homeowner’s Residential Electrical Inspection Guidelines from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries for more details.)
As a layperson, there are a few red flags you can look for. If any of these are present, consider bringing in a professional electrician to fix them before moving ahead with a home electrical inspection.
Uncovered Bathroom Lights
Lights that are situated over a sink, shower, or tub must have a cover over the bulb, to ensure no water gets inside. If you have a fixture that features bare bulbs — bulbs you can change without first removing a cover — you need to replace it.
Missing or Faulty GFCI Outlets
Rooms with water — kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms, outdoor areas — must have GFCI outlets. These are the outlets with a red reset button and a black test button on them. According to OSHA, “The ground-fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI, is a fast-acting circuit breaker designed to shut off electric power in the event of a ground-fault…”
If your home does not have GFCI outlets near sources of water, bring in an electrician to install them before your inspection.
Missing Or Improper Use of RCD (Residual Current Device) In Electrical Panel
Your electrical panel must have RCD-protected circuits for bathroom lights, bathroom heaters, and socket outlets. RCDs are typically labeled in green.
Open up your fuse box. If there is no RCD section, you’ll need to bring out an electrician. If anything labeled as a light is not in the green RCD section, you’ll also need to have someone look at it to make sure lights are all on protected circuits.
Gas Not Grounded
If your home has a gas supply, check to see if there’s a green and yellow wire connected to the pipes at the ground level. If this wire is not present, your gas supply may not be properly grounded. Bring out an electrician to check and fix it.
Older Electrical System
You may not be able to tell at a glance if your cables are anchored properly, if you have surge protection, or whether you have the proper number of circuits for a given space.
But if the house is older and a peek at the wiring looks dicey, it’s a good idea to have an electrician out to make sure the system is in good shape before you spend time and money on a home electrical inspection.