Home inspection time

Status
Not open for further replies.
Solanaceae

Solanaceae

Member
Location
sangamon county, IL
We are putting our house up on the market and ran into some issues. A few outlets had live and neutral switched around. No big deal. There are three outlets that concern me. One in the upstairs bath. It's a gfci of course, I replaced it last year. The only problem I ran into is there was no ground in site. Someone stripped the romex back and cut out the bare ground wire off. Second, one in the hot tub room. It also has no ground, should that be replaced with a gfci? Third, a completely dead outlet behind the hot tub. I tested it and it didn't show anything, so I assume either the outlet or the supply are dead. Any help? Thanks.
 
Solanaceae said:
We are putting our house up on the market and ran into some issues. A few outlets had live and neutral switched around. No big deal. There are three outlets that concern me. One in the upstairs bath. It's a gfci of course, I replaced it last year. The only problem I ran into is there was no ground in site. Someone stripped the romex back and cut out the bare ground wire off. Second, one in the hot tub room. It also has no ground, should that be replaced with a gfci? Third, a completely dead outlet behind the hot tub. I tested it and it didn't show anything, so I assume either the outlet or the supply are dead. Any help? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Receptacles are not allowed within 6 feet of the pool (hot tub), maybe someone intentionally disabled that one. Better yet would be to remove it and install a blank cover.

See 680.22(A) for the rules on that.
 
No ground is not a problem with a GFCI and yes you should replace the one with no ground with a GFCI and what Kwired said about the hot tub receptacle.
 
Solanaceae said:
The thing that puzzles me is that there're two duplex outlets that are like 8 inches apart and the hot tub is about 2.5 feet away, how did they not ding us on that?
Click to expand...

The home inspector is a generalist, at best. Individuals will have varying skill sets, with greater depth of understanding in one trade or other. The inspector may well have guidelines provided by local ordinance that preclude calling out this specific error.

In my area, the "Truth In Sale of Housing" inspectors are actually hamstrung in ways that, to me, greatly devalue the report they offer. Yet the house can't be listed for sale without having the report at the property at all times.
 
Solanaceae said:
Someone stripped the romex back and cut out the bare ground wire off.
Click to expand...

Little Bill said:
If there is enough of the EGC left to splice on a longer piece of wire I would do that along with adding the GFCI.
Click to expand...


This ungrounded section of cable may be an extension of an old two wire ungrounded cable. People often cut the ground wire short when useing three wire to extend two wire cable.

Put a no equipment ground sticker on the GFCI if the ground can not be reconnected. This will let an inspector know that a plug in tester will not work.
 
cowboyjwc said:
No ground is not a problem with a GFCI .
Click to expand...


If it's a newer house where grounded circuits were required it could be a problem.

You are not really given the option of useing grounded circuits or a GFCI in new construction. If that house were built in say 2002 then the circuit would require a ground. At least that's how I see it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top