Will your home or business pass an electrical inspection?
Everything seems to be working fine and you haven’t had any major issues, so it should pass with flying colours.
Not so fast.
When you get an electrical inspection, the inspector is doing more than checking to see if your outlets are charging your devices and the lights are working.
They’re checking to see if your home or business is safe.
Not getting an electrical inspection means you’re at risk of serious (and possibly even deadly) electrical mishaps. It means your insurance might not cover you in the event of an electrical fire or other incident, and you might have trouble selling your home or building.
What are inspectors looking for in an electrical inspection?
Inviting someone into your home or business to poke around the electrical work may seem a little daunting, but knowing what they’re looking for and understanding why they have such high standards is the first step in making sure your space is safe. Here are a few things the electrical inspector looks for:
Proper circuits
When the inspector is looking at your circuits, they’re making sure that they can handle the demand of the space. They’ll see if there are dedicated circuits for any appliances that need them.
GFCI and AFCI circuit protection
GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) and AFCI (arc-fault circuit interrupter) protection is required for any outlets or appliances that are outside, below grade, or close to water sources like sinks.
These are extremely important. A GFCI outlet is designed to protect you from electrocution. When you plug in an appliance the GFCI outlet regulates the amount of power going to the device. An AFCI is a device that is designed to recognize an arc fault quickly and stop the flow of electricity to prevent electrical fires.
The inspector will make sure that there are AFCI and GFCI-protected outlets or circuit breakers where the code requires it.
Electrical boxes
The inspector will make sure that all electrical boxes are up against the wall and that they’re large enough to comfortably house all of the wire conductors and any other devices. While we don’t recommend installing one yourself, make sure you’re using a spacious electrical box to pass inspection and make it easier to complete any wire connections.
Surge protection
Your inspector may recommend using something called an isolated ground receptacle if you have things like TVs, stereo/surround sound systems, or similar appliances. This will protect your appliances from surges.
Is your home or workplace inspection ready?
Now that you know an electrical inspection is more than turning some lights on and plugging in some devices, are you 100% sure your home will pass? If you’re not, that’s ok! You’re one click away from connecting with a team of licensed electricians who can help you make sure you’ll pass with flying colours.