Nashville Home Inspection - Electrical Wiring - What's Wrong With This Picture? 7.27.11
HINT: Orange extension cords are a red flag during a Home Inspection.
ANSWER: HABITEC does not recommend the use of an extension cord as permanent wiring. These cords usually come with plug attachments at both ends but sometimes people cut those off and use the cord for permanent wiring. This is a fire waiting to happen for two reasons. Not only has this homeowner used the improper material as an electrical conductor, they have also not installed the conductor into the metal junction box correctly. You can see where the cord simply goes through the open knockout hole in the side of the box without any protection from the sharp edge of the hole. This installation should have a composite grommet, or strain relief, to protect the electrical cable (not a cord) from the sharp edges of the metal box and also to protect the connection of the wires from pulling apart inside the box.
Thank you,
Richard Acree
Comments in this blog posting are the copyrighted intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC, and contributing members of the Active Rain Real Estate network, and are intended to educate and otherwise assist home owners, sellers and buyers, building owners, sellers and buyers, realtors, real estate investors, property managers, and lenders in the process of owning, buying or selling homes or commercial buildings. HABITEC is a residential (home) and commercial building inspection company serving Middle Tennessee including Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Mt. Juliet, Hendersonville, Dickson, Belle Meade, Columbia, Spring Hill and more! In addition to building inspections HABITEC offers Environmental Services for mold assessments, radon testing and water quality analysis. Additional information about HABITEC can be found on our website at http://habitecinspections.com, or call 615-376-2753.
Richard Acree is the author of the HABITEC Home and Building Inspections ActiveRain Blog and founder of the ActiveRain Group Tennessee Home and Building Inspectors. All are welcome to join and see more blogs like this one. You can also join HABITEC on Facebook or Linked .
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