Existing Dwellings

[millems]

I am in a 5-year old single residence (~3,000 sq. ft.). We have not experienced any "major" electrical problems, but we do seem to blow a lot of bulbs throughout the house (indoor and outdoor). Nothing out of the ordinary with tripped circuits, etc...

My question - as one with limited experience with home wiring - is there such a thing as a "home electrical safety checkup?" I do not want to throw money to the wind, but I felt that a safety check might be worth the investment (if such a checkup truly exists). Thanks!!!

[Wgoodrich]

Thank you for posting your question on the forum. Many may benefit from this post as an everyday afterthought to their own home electrical system safety.

Heat is the one biggest enemy of you home electrical system. There is a proceedure once you understand what to look for it should become a subconcious habit to make periodic checks of your own home. While a skilled professional may go a bit deeper seldom will you find a professional that will do an overall better job than you yourself can do and you can do it as you live in your home on a regular basis where you normally couldn't afford a pro to come on a regular basis.

To do a self analysis of your home electrical system's safety and conditions. Your sense of touch and ability to sense heat by that touch is your best overall general tool that you need.

First thing you need to consider is that if you touch an electrical item and get shocked using the palm or finger tips you hand will close and grasp that source of electrical shock due to electrical impulses are what controls your muscles normally. A shock of electricity will make you muscles contract thus making you grab the item causing the shock and you can't let go. If in question when approaching any electrical item always use the back of your hand so that if something goes wrong unexpectedly you will be able to jump back instead of locking onto the source of the shock.

While your wiring is being used in your home at its most busiest time go around your house and using hte back of your hand brush the electrical finish plates of all your receptacles and switches. When you are sure it is safe from shock then use your finger tips that you have trained for years to feel your way and run your hand around that receptacle or switch plate. No receptacle should give you a sensation of heat to the touch. Switches especially with speed controls or dimmers may feel warm to the touch but never should fell uncomfortable to the touch being to hot to touch. If you sense heat in receptacles or too much heat in switches with dimmers or speed controls then open that receptacle or switch box and inspect the insulation on the wire where they connect to wire nuts or to the switch or receptacle device. Look for bubbling of the insulation of that wire where it connects to the device. If you have a loose connection you will see heat damage either to the receptacle or switch device or bubbling or discoloration of the conductor or insulation of that conductor where it connects to the receptacle or switch device.

Remember excess heat is usually either an overloaded device or conductor or a loose connection.

Once you have felt up your receptacles and switches pay close attention in feeling dryer, washer, refrigerator, garbage disposals, electric water heater, receptacles over counters in kitchens, motors normally plugged in or spegetti mess style plugs such as behind TVs or stereos or computers where you have a bunch of plugs plugged into too few receptacles. Then feel inside clothes or storage closets around light fixtures, feel the stored items that are close to those lights in closets to ensure you have no excess heat drying out something that will have spontanious combustion into a fire due to drying out from the heat produced by the light fixtures in those storage areas.

Then go to your panels, disconnects, meterbase, or sub panels or junction boxes in attics or crawl spaces too. Feel around the covers of those panels and boxes to try and detect heat. Junction boxes should produce no heat to the touch that you can feel. Feel each individual breaker or fuse block with the back of your hand for excess heat. Breakers would be considered normal if warm to the touch but not normal if uncomfortably warm or hot to the touch. If you find a breaker that feels uncomfortable to the touch then you may have a problem that needs more investigation. If you feel a panel or box cover warm to the touch you may have a problem that needs to be investigated further.

Often times a breaker building up heat tells you that either you have a certain branch circuit that is overloaded or you have a loose connection inside the panel either where the wire is connected to the breaker or where the breaker is connected to the main panel buss bar. If you feel this heat then remove the panel cover carefully. Remember to shut the power off to that panel before you remove the panel cover. Using a flash light look closely for bubbling of insulation of the wire where it connects to the breaker. Look for damage or discoloration of that breaker or conductor overall. If you find all in good shape that pop out the breaker and inspect the bottom of that breaker and the buss bar where that breaker connects to the buss bar. If you find damage due to heat or discoloration then you have found a hazard that needs addressed.

Feel you main breaker and see if it is building up heat. If it is getting warm it is a warning that you may have a main service that is too small for your growing needs.

If you have went through your house in the above suggested manner and you find nothing providing heat then you should feel that your electrical system is in good repair and not overloaded. You have done what you should to protect your family from unknown hazards as best that you could and better than most families have done. Once you have done this investigation once you will probably catch yourself doing the touchy feely no and again as you continue to live in your home. Good habit to get into.

If you find a concern then come in here on this forum or another respected forum and discribe what you found and seek advise as to the cause and suggested correction to your concerns. Ask the same question on more than one forum. Invite more than one view on the subject. Then you have confirmation that you are on the right track.

In my opinion this post is probably one of the best questions asked in all the time I have spent in forums helping those help themselves. It concerns preventitive maintenence concerning promoting safety before a hazard appears too late to know about.

Real good idea !

Hope this helps you protect you and yours.

Good Luck and be safe

Wg

[Anonymous]

Something you might want to check is the voltage in the house.

I have heard of people having high voltage through out thier house and this causing lightbulbs to blow out often.

This can be done with a simple multimeter ($15.00 at the local electronics store) correctly set to measure AC voltage. Just check the voltage at an outlet, if it reads high, the problem is outside of your home, call the electric company, they will fix it

[Wgoodrich]

Guest, I am not sure that I agree with your thoughts. High voltage in the discribed conditions that may be causing light bulbs to blow are often a loose neutral or grounded leg. Loose neutal or grounded leg [white wires] will act as a coil causing spikes of voltage beyond that voltage being served to the home. Often times a voltage tester will measure correct yet an intermittent loose connection can create undertemined timing in electrical surges.

Often times light bulbs with too much wattage rating above the limit of that light fixture causes premature loss of bulb life. The excess heat will greatly shorten the life of the bulb as well as create drying of conductor insulation and fire risk increased.

Just a few reasons that I can think of concerning the common loss of light bulbs with shortened life expectancy.

I guess I got off on the inspection of the home for safety and condition of the electrical system and forgot to approach the first of the two questions posted. Guest, Thanks for pointing out the lack of opinions or answers to the first question I seemed to have skipped over till you issued your reply that helped.

Wg