smoking router

[iwire]

Re: smoking router

Ratus this tester

is about $15 and tells you polarity, grounding and will trip GFCIs

 

[johna]

Re: smoking router

Home Inspectors are not expected to perform technically exhaustive inspections. That's at least in part because we don't just check the electric system, but the HVAC, plumbing, structure, exterior,roof,attic,crawlspace,interior,basement,etc.
The Standards of Practice developed by the National Association of Home Inspectors and the American Society of Home Inspectors state that, at a minimum, we must check one receptacle per room, one window per room, etc. Of course most of us do more than one per room. Often the home is still occupied and heavy furniture may be in front of some receptacles, and some windows may be festooned with Christmas lights, etc. It has to be a somewhat limited inspection to keep within reasonable time and expense bounds. In general we're looking for major defects and hazards.

 

[rattus]

Re: smoking router

iwire, I have one of the 3-prong testers, and it is very useful. Mine doesn't test GFCIs though.
I also have a "Ne-o-lite" wich is nothing more than a neon lamp with a resistor in series and two short test leads.

My favorite though is a proximity tester made by Micronta. Looks like a fat foundtain pen and uses a watch battery. Lights up when you get it close to a hot conductor. Works well for finding the hot prong on a receptacle.

 

[jimwalker]

Re: smoking router

"Jim do your electrical inspectors verify each and every device? "
No but we back our work with a one year warranty by law and in reality we get our finals with no electric even turned on

 

[iwire]

Re: smoking router

Originally posted by rattus:
My favorite though is a proximity tester made by Micronta.

The company I work for requires us to have a non contact voltage tester visible on us at all times.

The ones they provide us are usually Greenlee or Fluke but regardless they are very handy.

 

[jimwalker]

Re: smoking router

"In general we're looking for major defects and hazards."
So he might easily miss some dead outlets or even a receptacle with reversed polarity .This is not MAJOR ?
And if thats what the wording is then all this HI has to say is that was not one of the ones i checked and he is off free as a bird.

I have inspected homes so people could purchase insurance.I checked each and every receptacle.As well as every gfci and panel for no over fused wires or pennies.The paper only says i did not observe any open wiring or unsafe conditions or any defects that might cause a fire or shock.Wish i had saved a copy of what was said.Very few of these old homes passed without some repairs needed.Often minor like replacing that 3 prong receptacle with a legal 2

 

[iwire]

Re: smoking router

Originally posted by jimwalker:
"Jim do your electrical inspectors verify each and every device? "
No but we back our work with a one year warranty by law and in reality we get our finals with no electric even turned on

OK so if you wire an outlet reverse polarity it will stay that way until it damages something?

My point here is that it seems you expect perfection from the HIs when we as electricians can not provide perfection either.

 

[jimwalker]

Re: smoking router

No Bob nobody is perfect and things do slip by.But we pay for our mistakes and i think they should too.Maybe i do exspect to much from a HI.I am just testing the water here as to what they are liable for.If they pay a couple hundred dollars for an inspection i would think should be able to spend 1 hour on just electric.What is the amount of time for everything ?

 

[iwire]

Re: smoking router

Originally posted by jimwalker:
I have inspected homes so people could purchase insurance.

And I bet you missed some items.

This is not a personal thing, if I went and did my best to inspect a home I would miss things.

If Roger, Don, Ryan, Wayne whoever, goes and inspects an electrical system in a building with closed walls and plated devices they are bound to miss something.

Unless you want to spend a week pulling out devices, ringing out wiring with a mega meter, mapping out the circuits etc. things will be missed.

 

[jimwalker]

Re: smoking router

No Bob nobody is perfect and things do slip by.But we pay for our mistakes and i think they should too.Maybe i do exspect to much from a HI.I am just testing the water here as to what they are liable for.If they pay a couple hundred dollars for an inspection i would think should be able to spend 1 hour on just electric.What is the amount of time for everything ?

 

[iwire]

Re: smoking router

Originally posted by jimwalker:
If they pay a couple hundred dollars for an inspection

You expect a lot for $200 bucks.

If I am at a job for 4 hours it costs the customer about $300.

I don't know what HIs charge or how long they spend per house, I imagine much depends on if it is a 1,200 sq ft tract home or a 20,000 sq ft 'residence'

 

[jimwalker]

Re: smoking router

$200 gets you 1 journeyman for 4 hours here .So with our differance of pay scales sounds about right.I am just trying to justify there cost for what i receive.Is this really worth it ? They will likely miss a lot if only doing 1 receptacle for a room

 

[hurk27]

Re: smoking router

Something to keep in mind:

If you try to depend upon a three light tester without doing a true ground check you can get a good reading when in fact the receptacle can be miss-wired.

Here is an example:

A two wire receptacle is fed by a two wire non-grounding NM. if the receptacle polarity is reversed and the ground is boot legged from the neutral which is now hot It will place 120 volt on anything that is grounded by this receptacle. But a three light tester will still show correct wiring.

I just carry a long wire with an clip on one end which I clip to a grounded source at the service and use this wire to reference which terminal on the receptacles are grounded. also works for fixtures.

With AC current no light or tester can see which wire is which with out a reference source.

 

[roger]

Re: smoking router

Jim,

But we pay for our mistakes and i think they should too.

in another ongoing thread, you indicate that if you are penalized for your mistake you will get even with your employer, so who actualy pays for your mistake?

Roger

 

[jimwalker]

Re: smoking router

Will check this idea out with my hot stick soon as i get the chance.Or Bob could do it now if his is still in his shirt pocket.Yes carrying one in pocket at all times is a great idea . I do when in a building with any power.Havn't had any live electric in over 2 months

 

[jimwalker]

Re: smoking router

If he removes money from my pay check he will pay.If i goof he still pays.Problem with that ?
In the long term picture i pay if i cost him money and don't get a raise

[ January 05, 2005, 08:27 PM: Message edited by: jimwalker ]

 

[johna]

Re: smoking router

The amount of time for a home inspection varies by home and by inspector. I usually take 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Of course the buyer can try to hire separate specialists for everything and pay a whole lot more if they want to. Home Inspectors are considered to be generalists, not specialists.
If there's one or two receptacles with problems that happened to be behind a couch or bed, that's one of the limitations of the inspection. I'm not expected to move heavy, and possibly valuable, furniture around.

 

[iwire]

Re: smoking router

Originally posted by jimwalker:
Will check this idea out with my hot stick soon as i get the chance.Or Bob could do it now if his is still in his shirt pocket.

Yes I can check for polarity with the tester I carry.

 

[roger]

Re: smoking router

Jim,

Originally posted by jimwalker:
If he removes money from my pay check he will pay. Problem with that ?

So in your mind if you goof you are not responsible?

what did you mean when you said

But we pay for our mistakes and i think they should too.

so with your statement above, are you saying you will blame somebody else and not claim responsibility?

Yes I have a problem with this.

Roger

[ January 05, 2005, 08:40 PM: Message edited by: roger ]

 

[jimwalker]

Re: smoking router

where did i say i would blame someone else ?
All i am saying is if i good i exspect the company to pick the tab up.It is part of doing buisness.If he bids a job to take 20 man hours and run into OT and me and my helper get it done by 2pm i don't exspect anything more than "you did i good job " no extra money exspected.Win some lose some.If i cost him too much he will fire me.If i keep making a high profit i get a raise.But if he steals from me he should exspect to get hurt.Or would you just say sure boss take whatever you want for any reason.