Free Home Safety Inspection

Are you concerned about the condition of your home? If not, you should be. It is unfortunate when people are under the impression their homes will last forever. While this is achievable, a routine home safety inspection is key. What is a home safety inspection? What are the key features of a home safety inspection? Find the answers to these questions in the content provided below.

Home Safety Inspection – What Is It?

A home safety inspection is just as its name entails. It is a visual assessment of your home’s electrical system. A residential electrical system is comprised of technological components that bring power from the main power line to an electrical panel. An electrical panel utilizes circuit breakers to add a later of protection for electrical currents from damage related to a short circuit or overcurrent.

Electrical wiring is installed inside the circuit breaker before it goes into the home. The service life of a circuit breaker is up to 40 years. Signs of a damaged circuit breaker include voltage fluctuation and poor power rating.

Evidence shows about 51,000 house fires are reported each year in the United States. Of the 51,000 house fires, an estimated 500 people lose their lives in house fires. Another 1,400 people are injured in house fires each year in the United States. The property damage related to the 51,000 hire fires totaled $1.3 billion.

What Causes Electrical Home Fires?

Experts have connected electrical house fires to various factors:

• Outdated Electrical Wiring – Homes built between 1920 and 1960 may be installed with cloth-covered or cloth-insulated electrical wiring. Alpha Electrician Tacoma recommends replacing the outdated wiring to rule out the risk of a house fire. The cloth utilized in the early 1900s electrical wiring application has a history of breaking down. The damaged insulated cloth flakes off, leaving the electrical wire exposed to the elements.
• Aluminum Electrical Wiring – Homes built between 1960 and 1970 may be installed with aluminum wiring. Electricians oftentimes opted to utilize aluminum electrical wiring because it was more cost-efficient than nonconductive plastic-covered wiring. While cost-efficient, aluminum wiring has been linked to arc faults and sparks, resulting in fires.
• Overload Tripping Circuit Breakers – When circuit breakers become overloaded, they will trip. This is a positive sign that the circuit breaker is functioning properly. However, it is also a sign that something abnormal is occurring inside the home’s electrical system. A home safety inspection can help pinpoint the problem and protect your home from electrical fire caused by frequently tripped breakers.
• Overloaded Electrical Outlets – Everyone is connected to their electronic devices – desktop computers, laptops, cellphones, iPads, tablets, televisions, surround sound stereo systems, and smart devices. This is not to mention the many electric-powered small and large appliances. Some homes have minimal electrical outlets or receptacles, forcing the occupants to overload them.

Our professional home safety inspections are available to all Tacoma, Washington. We offer free written estimates per request. Contact our local office to learn more about our home safety inspection. Our electricians are licensed with the State of Washington.