Putting people before business
Putting people before business
Information about common home inspection electrical issues.
Knob and Tube wiring is a method of wiring that was popular from about 1890 to 1940. Characterized by the ceramic knobs that held the conductors away from the joists and ceramic tubes that the conductors ran through when it had to pass through a joist or wall plate.
What is Knob and Tube Wiring? Read More »
Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems work by collecting sunlight onto specially designed panels which produce DC current. This current is transferred to an inverter which converts it to AC current to match our home electrical system. Since these systems are becoming more and more popular it’s important to gain an understanding of how theses systems
Understanding Solar PV Systems Read More »
Most people are familiar with how a regular 120 volt circuit is constructed (a hot, a neutral and a grounding conductor). Some may even understand how a 240 volt circuit operates (two hots, a neutral and a grounding conductor). But what the heck is a multi-wire branch circuit? Well, a multi-wire branch circuit is
What is a Multi-wire branch circuit? Read More »
In this article I want to clear up some confusion about a wiring method home inspectors sometimes encounter and which sometimes even some electricians don’t thoroughly understand. I’m talking about section 240.21(B) of the NEC (National Electrical Code) which discusses Feeder Taps. While most people understand that overcurrent protection is typically required at the
Understanding Feeder Taps Read More »
As more and more homeowners are opting to add a generator to their home it’s time to discuss the different types of generators, how they’re used and how they should be installed. We’ll discuss the proper bonding and grounding along with some options for transfer switches. Let’s get started. Two types of Generators Basically
Types of Generators and Transfer Switches Read More »
Required Locations of Smoke Alarms Although the required number and location of smoke alarms have changed over the years most people will agree that every home should have a smoke alarm. Older homes do not have to be upgraded to the new codes unless there are major renovations as outlined in the code. Paraphrased:
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Requirements Read More »
This discussion will focus on how a three way switch works and show some examples of how to wire them. A three way switch is used to operate a fixture from two locations like a ceiling fan for instance. First this advice – Turn the power off before working with electricity. This discussion is
How to Wire a Three Way Switch for a Ceiling Fan Read More »
A double tap is when there are two conductors under a terminal which is designed for only one conductor. This a safety issue because a terminal designed for one conductor will not exert even pressure on two conductors which means one of them could come loose, arc, overheat, cause a fire etc. When we
What is a double tap? Read More »
A GFI or GFCI (ground fault interrupter, ground fault circuit interrupter) is a type of electrical receptacle which provides a greater measure of protection against electrical shock than a circuit breaker alone. It works by measuring the current flow on both the hot and neutral and it instantly cuts off the power if there
About GFI and AFCI Requirements Read More »
Bonding– Bonding just means to connect metal parts of a system so that there is no potential difference between them. To understand this realize that two pieces of metal even if it is just laying around in the back yard can have an electrical charge (like static electricity) and the charge of each piece
About Grounding and Bonding Read More »
Shows how the main electrical panel and sub panel is to be wired. The Main Panel In the above example it shows the Main Electrical Panel and a subpanel and how it’s wired. In residential homes the first main disconnect is wired wired with a 3 conductor feeder coming from the meter. This feed
About Panels, Subpanels and Local Disconnects Read More »
Blue Palmetto Home Inspection
1325 Sandy Run Circle
Summerville SC 29486
Phone 843-608-5851,cell 843-934-3045
License # RBI48831, RBB22399
rthornburg@homesc.com
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Ray Thornburg at publishing time.