Since we perform the majority of our home inspections in Calgary and Chesteremere we feel it is prevelent to educate every home buyer, especially first time home buyers about the electrical safety in the property they are seeking to call home.
Often when an electrical deficiency is addressed most home buyers and realtors ask “what can happen if this condition is not corrected?”. In almost every case the answer is fire and/or damage to equipment and circuits. 20 percent of all fires in Canada are due to electrical fires. Fires occur as a result of poor workmanship, overloaded circuits, and wear and tear typically in exposed and hidden areas.
Did you know faulty wiring is the number one cause of electrical fires?
Since many homes we inspect around Calgary vary in age, we need to consider what is standard today was not required when some houses were originally built, or renovated. Non the less there are technologies available to protect every home regardless of age from the risk of fire using Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCI).
An arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) is an advanced circuit breaker and receptacle that is used in 15-20 AMP circuits to protect our home and belongings from arcing. AFCI’s designed to eliminate the risk of fires and damage by breaking the circuit when it detects a dangerous electric arc in the circuit that it protects. Arcing occurs when a strong current leaps across the gap between electrodes creating excessive heat that can easily ignite surrounding materials, such as wood framing, insulation or other combustible materials resulting in a hazardous house fire.
In todays world electrical demands only increase in the average household as we spend more time indoors we reply on many electrical devices on a daily basis that should be protected such as:
- Computers
- Refrigerator(s)
- Microwave Ovens
- Washing Machines
- Vacuum Cleaners
- Smart Phones & Tablets
- Electrical Fans
- Televisions & Home Theaters
This technology has greatly evolved since it first appeared in the 1999 National Electrical Code (NEC). Like any new technology it has gone through several iterations to reduce unwanted tripping due to non-hazardous arcs that are part of the normal operation of appliances and devices in the home. In its introductory years it was only required in bedrooms and is a large part of the electrical system being used in virtually all rooms:
- Bedrooms
- Family rooms
- Dining rooms
- Living rooms
- Sunrooms
- Kitchens
- Dens
- Home offices
- Hallways
- Recreation rooms
- Laundry rooms
- and even Closets.
The presence of or the need to improve electrical components to AFCI breakers and recepticles are voiced and reported in every Motorious Solutions | Home inspection. When planning any upgrades, renovations, and improvements in the home related to electrical you may wish to consult with a lisecneed electrical contractor to discuss options and costs for the installation of breakers and receptacles. Also if your home is alreaday equipped with these protection devices consider hiring a lisenced electrical contractor to perform an audit of the entire house to ensure all the electrical work is up to code and that all the connections are tight.
Protecting your family and investment is our # 1 priority and should be yours also.
We are available 7 days a week to support you with educated and thorough home inspections.