Home Inspection Savage | Home Inspector 952-583-8608

Ninety-nine percent of the time, homeowners aren’t aware that they need an inspection. Some electrical problems are easy to ignore, after all. A circuit breaker tripping from time to time probably doesn’t occupy much space in your brain once you’ve reset the breaker and restored power, and you’re in good company if you’ve never tested the GFCI outlets in your house.

There are three main reasons you should schedule an electrical inspection:

1. You just purchased a home.
2. You’ve never had your home’s electrical system inspected (or it’s been over a year since the last inspection).
3. You’re having problems with circuit breakers tripping.

Older homes, in particular, tend to contain a wealth of questionable wiring choices made by enthusiastic DIYers intent on saving a buck. It’s far better for an inspector to find these surprises than for you to spend weeks wondering why that outlet in the guest bedroom has been slowly turning brown.

Our basic inspection is a ten-point safety inspection. The things we look at during that inspection usually show us any major problems in the home. Our inspector will look for the following:

• Meter socket: Is it damaged or beginning to detach from the house?
• Service cables: Are the wires damaged or deteriorating?
• Grounding system: Is it installed correctly and to code?
• Main electrical panel: Is it outdated or damaged in any way? Are the circuits overloaded?
• Breakers: Is there evidence of overloading? Are they mismatched or too large?
• GFCI outlets: Are they installed in the correct locations? Are they functioning properly?
• Wiring hazards: Does the house contain exposed wires or any obvious hazards, such as overloaded power strips or improperly used extension cords?
• Surge protection: Is there a surge protector on the home’s main panel? Do individual appliances have surge protectors?
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors: Are they present in the correct locations around the house? Are they outdated? Do they work correctly?

Beyond examining each of these elements around the house there are a few red flags that we look for. Knob-and-tube wiring is a big red flag or smoke detectors that have turned yellow because they’re so old. We also look for outdoor outlets that aren’t rated for outdoor use.

After the inspection is complete we will provide a detailed report along with pictures of our findings and have that available to your in 24 hours of the inspection.