Don't Over Do It...

Amp = Amount

The electrical wires in your home are rated for a specific amount of amps. Amp's refer to the AMOUNT of electricity that the wire can handle. For reference, power lines carry about 10,000 amps. Transformers (those big white cans on power poles or green boxes in your yard) step-down the amps to to around 200 amps when supplying your home with power. Each circuit breaker is rated for a specific amp to protect the wires on that circuit. Your heat pump, dryer, and electric range require more power (higher amps) and will have larger wires which are rated to receive more power. Lights, and receptacles have smaller wires and thus use breakers rated for less amps. 

Circuit Breakers

Similar to the transformer at the street, your breakers step down the power from your service line to each circuit in your home. If the service is 200 amps, but the breaker only allows 20 amps, then the wires and receptacles on that circuit can hold a maximum of 20 amps at any given time.

For reference, a 100 watt light bulb uses about 1 amp. Some vacuum cleaners use 15 amps and a clothes iron uses around 8 amps. So, if you were to try and iron your clothes and vacuum at the same time in your bedroom - the circuit breaker in the panel will trip for protection.

The picture shows a 60 amp breaker serving a 10 awg conductor - which is rated for only 30 amps. This may be the work of an unlicensed person.

Summary

There are many different sized wires and breakers. The two should always complement one another. If a wire is rated for 30 amps, and a has a 50 amp breaker - then the breaker will allow that AMOUNT of electricity (amps) to the wire and the wire will burn, melt, or cause a fire.

Most importantly -  if you are considering ironing and vacuuming at the same time - you should consider hiring an assistant or taking a vacation.

Cheers!

Thomas Ailstock, CPI - FL# HI9155

Blue Bear Home Inspection, LLC

Tallahassee Home Inspector

Providing the Best Service Possible

Beware of the DIY'er!

A Dash of Honesty

I must confess that in the past I have fallen victim to three day binges of HGTV of which I resurfaced with an overwhelming desire to upgrade an area of my home. This was coupled with a new found confidence that I could manage the project on my own, complete it in only a couple hours, and remain well under budget.

This generally was not the case and hindsight always presented a more realistic picture. The Do-It-Yourself'er is a brave soul.

A Bit of Caution

When performing a home inspection, I often find what appears to be the work of a DIY'er. Some of the time the work is fine and not a concern but sometimes it is worth mentioning. Common issues are usually found with water heaters and electrical installations. The pictures show a 14/3 NM-B (Romex) electrical wire connected to a 12/2 NM-B (Romex) wire in the attic of a Tallahassee home - clearly the work of a DIY'er. 

The red wire (hot) was not connected and was exposed which was one issue. I traced it to the panel where I  found it unconnected as well. It appears that the 14/3 wire was used until it ran out, and then 12/2 was used during the rest of the installation - likely because it was available. 

Another concern is that none of the connections were inside junction boxes. There were about 4-5 recessed lights found which were wired this way. The home buyers were happy to learn about this issue and were able to have it repaired before moving into their new home!

Thomas Ailstock, CPI - FL# HI9155

Blue Bear Home Inspection, LLC

Tallahassee Home Inspector

Dedicated to providing the Best Service Possible

Fancy word for Exit

Fancy word for Exit

Egress is a fancy word which means "to leave a place". Every home is required to have an unobstructed means of egress (or exit). As a home inspector, I pay close attention to matters relating to safety.

Each room should have a means of egress. Windows are the method of choice in certain emergencies such as fire where the main egress door - usually the front door - is unreachable. Bedroom window sills should not be more than 44" above the floor to allow any occupant to escape. Also, I recommend you to double check your windows from time to time to ensure they are operable.

Double vs Single Cylinder 

A dangerous yet common issue that I find is with deadbolts. The two common types are double and single cylinder. Single cylinder units use a key to turn the lock on one side and a thumb-knob on the opposite side. Double cylinder units operate using a key on both sides. 

The picture shows a double cylinder deadbolt on a main egress door in a residential home. During an emergency the occupants in the home may be overwhelmed - locating and using a key may only add to the stress of the situation. I always recommend these be replaced with a single cylinder unit for safety reasons. What do you think?

Thomas Ailstock, CPI - FL# HI9155

Blue Bear Home Inspection, LLC

Tallahassee Home Inspector

Dedicated to providing the Best Service Possible