Wiring No-No

One area of a home that can be particularly daunting for a homeowner is the electrical system of the house.
So much of our lives are dependent on electricity. From keeping our food cold and the lights on to cell phone charging and computers we need the current flowing through our home. There's also a dark side to electricity...particularly in the place we live and sleep.
According to the American Burn Association, over 140,000 homes burn down each year due to electrical fires. Often, electric fires are the result of unqualified persons working on the electrical systems of the home.

In the example at the right, someone decided to tie a lamp cord to nonmetallic sheathed wiring with wire nuts. This act violates every building code available as well as good common sense.
These types of patches and "repairs" are way to common.
The lamp wire used here is simply not designed to carry the same load as the standard wiring.
Another source of concern is the main service panel. The picture at the beginning of this post shows too many issues to list. That said, even the untrained eye can tell something ain't quite right.
In comes the home inspector and his/her inspection. The electrical system takes a great deal of time to inspect as there are many parts to consider. Done right, the defective items are reported appropriately. This provides an opportunity for another source of concern is the main service panel. The picture at the beginning of this post shows too many issues to list. That said, even the untrained eye can tell something ain't quite right.
Enter the home inspector and his/her inspection. The electrical system takes a great deal of time to inspect as there are many parts to consider. Done right, the defective items are reported appropriately. This provides an opportunity for repair and maintenance to ensure the home is safe functioning properly. As I mentioned, an untrained eye can tell the above service panel is not OK but what exactly is wrong with it?
That's a matter for a trained and licensed professional.
The electrical system of a home is one of the most important, complex and potentially dangerous systems in a house. When buying a home a thorough inspection of this system can provide peace of mind.