I noticed in one of the comments in the oversell thread that someone said that they would change a few things in a house that is 20 plus years old. I was recently called to look at an old house to inspect the electrical to see if any work was needed before the PC could do their job. The biggest thing that I noticed is the Service came under the carport inches above the back door and terminated into the meter base. I told the bank that I could not sign off on the house with the service that way and I notice that there where a lot of plates missing in the house, no GFI, exposed romex etc. Do you think that I should have left the GFCI out of the equation? Smoke Detector needed changing as well...
You got me to thinking!
- Thread starter Benton
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Well 20 years ago GFCI were req. in at least bath and outdoor receptacles. I think it was worth mentioning.
cadpoint
Senior Member
- Location
- Durham, NC
OK, this got me thinking where does it stop?
Does one do a standard check of things or do they have various levels of checking a house based on the condition that one finds or see's?
It all seems so open ended! What if a house inspector comes in behind you?
It just seems endless!
Does one do a standard check of things or do they have various levels of checking a house based on the condition that one finds or see's?
It all seems so open ended! What if a house inspector comes in behind you?
It just seems endless!
As an electrician, sales is a large part of the business. When I look at a home, I bring items to the owner's attention that is the most recent NEC, even if the adopted code is the '02 or '05. I mention all GFCI locations, CO locations, inter-wiring alarms as well as grounding, bonding, surge protection, lighting, etc.
Like any salesperson, many people say no and I don't push or hard-sell. The key IMO is to offer something to everyone. Every once in a while I run into someone who wants to buy everything on the van. If I only do the repair I'm called for and don't offer more, I would miss out on the $5k-$10k jobs that have kept the business running in these hard times.
Like any salesperson, many people say no and I don't push or hard-sell. The key IMO is to offer something to everyone. Every once in a while I run into someone who wants to buy everything on the van. If I only do the repair I'm called for and don't offer more, I would miss out on the $5k-$10k jobs that have kept the business running in these hard times.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
If you can determine it should have been there when the house was built, the mention it as a violation. If not, you can mention it as a recommendation.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
That's fair, as long as you also mention that the existing installation was compliant when it was built (if it was) and relatively safe, and not employ scare tactics.
roger3829
Senior Member
- Location
- Torrington, CT
renosteinke
Senior Member
- Location
- NE Arkansas
Requirements. What are the requirements?
OK, so we speak a great deal here about the NEC. Maybe even OSHA. The rare bird brings up another building code. That's all well and good. But-
Have any of us gone to the mortgage lender, or the home insurer, and asked THEM what they want to see as a minimum for thier purposes? These folks aren't usually tied to any particular code cycle, but they usually want to see circuit breakers, 100A service, maybe even no K&T.
It's worth asking around.
OK, so we speak a great deal here about the NEC. Maybe even OSHA. The rare bird brings up another building code. That's all well and good. But-
Have any of us gone to the mortgage lender, or the home insurer, and asked THEM what they want to see as a minimum for thier purposes? These folks aren't usually tied to any particular code cycle, but they usually want to see circuit breakers, 100A service, maybe even no K&T.
It's worth asking around.
This is so true. If an inspector comes behind me and finds something else then the cycle become endless.
As long as people have a Zero Risk Bias and there is a profit to be made, it doesn't.
Let's say you have an arc in a table lamp indicating that the switch contacts are at the end of their life.
The first line of defense against a fire loss is that even a child can conclude that there is a problem with the lamp and warn somebody.
The second line of defense is the metal shell around the switch.
The third line is your AFCI.
The fourth is your nearby fire dept.
The fifth is your fire insurance policy.
You've paid for all of these except the first.
Is this over-insured, or what?
- Status