Buying A Home: Ask These 4 Questions About The Electrical System

Buying a new home is quite an adventure today. I know people who purchased several houses in the past year. One house had no Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters'. These receptacles are more commonly known as GFIs'. My neighbor purchased a foreclosure that didn't have a whole house surge protector. Several customers bought homes without asking about the capabilities of the electrical service entrance. I inspected a older home in downtown Atlanta. The receptacles had no hole for ground. Electrical systems today are generally operated under a strain. Usually the National Electrical Code is updated six to nine years after a need is identified. The systems operate under strains that they are not designed to support. I have to admit that the system in my home has something plugged in at every receptacle. These are some suggested requirements for your purchase. Buying A Home: Ask These 4 Questions About The Electrical System.

1. Does the property include GFCIs'?
2. Is the home protected by whole house surge protection?
3. Will the electrical service entrance provide sufficient load requirements?
4. What did a certified inspector report?

The seller may not be receptive to these demands. I have made a good living making upgrades such as these. All receptacles in wet locations, outdoors, garages and unfinished basements should be Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter protected. Always insist that a whole house surge protector is provided for every electrical panel. We install additional grounding at the service entrance during this install. A finished basement will require more electrical circuits. HVAC units and any other specialty items will require a substantial load provision. If you are planning to finish the basement you will need a second load center. Many homes have a panel supplying a main floor, an upstairs floor, and a circuit to feed the unfinished space. This is adequate for unfinished storage space. The single panel will not support another 100 amps of usage. A misconception is made by adding circuit breakers without a load calculation. I really suggest an inspection. I have had to replace receptacles that had ground slots. Your property may have been wired 40 years ago. Many of these homes had no ground wire. The inspector will require the receptacles have no slot for the ground. This will satisfy the inspector. It returns the home to original state.

The process of purchasing a home can be very aggravating. Following the simple steps can save you thousands of dollars. It should also lower your insurance rates with proper documentation.