A professional electrical safety inspection for older homes is a systematic and methodical process that typically takes between one and three hours to complete.
During this evaluation, a licensed electrician performs the following checks:
- Service Entrance Examination: An exterior visual check of the service mast, weatherhead, and meter enclosure to ensure they are secure, sealed, and free of corrosion.
- Interior Panel Inspection: The panel cover is removed to check breaker conditions, wire terminations, and signs of overheating, pitting, or “double-tapped” connections.
- System Testing: Testing of all accessible outlets and switches for correct grounding, polarity, and GFCI protection. It also includes testing all GFCI and AFCI devices in areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and garages.
- Load Calculation: A check to verify that the electrical panel’s capacity can safely handle the household’s actual electrical demand.
- Grounding and Bonding Assessment: A thorough scrutiny of the main grounding system, including the ground rod connection and water pipe bond.
- Advanced Diagnostic Tools: Use of specialized equipment such as thermal imaging cameras to identify overheating components, multimeters, and insulation testers.
- Wiring Evaluation: Specifically looking for outdated systems like knob-and-tube wiring, aluminum branch circuits, or deteriorated insulation that may pose fire or shock hazards.
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