San Diego Safety Inspection for Your Home

Yes, as a Responsible Homeowner, Your House needs an Electrical Safety Inspection

It’s understandable if you’re cocking your eyebrows right now, wondering “Electrical safety inspection? Why would I need one? My lights work just fine!” Having your electrical wiring and system regularly inspected is one of those important maintenance procedures that most San Diego homeowners often overlook. At the most, San Diego safety inspections were only called for when a fuse had already blown or the switches had already failed to function.

You may think a home inspection of your electrical system is too expensive, or at the very least an unnecessary expense; but you’ll actually save more money from preventing damage to your home’s electrical system though a safety inspection than you will by waiting until a problem arises to call your San Diego electrician for an electrical repair job.

At Point Loma Electric, our San Diego electricians specialize in dealing with old wiring and faulty electrical systems. We've seen it all, and our team will make sure that your home's electrical system is working properly, safely and efficiently. Call today for more information!

San Diego Residential Electrical Safety Inspection Check List

While your lights and appliances may be working properly, there are many other factors contributing to the overall efficiency and safety of your home's electrical system. Not sure if a San Diego safety inspection for your home's electrical system is necessary or not? Take the following questions into consideration:

Is your breaker panel filled to capacity, with some breakers being half the size of the rest?
Are all of your electrical receptacles grounded and with the correct polarity?
Is there any visibly exposed wiring anywhere in your home or garage? Especially outdoors?
Is your electrical panel up to date with modern circuit breakers or are you still using plug fuses or outdated, obsolete circuit breakers more than 30 years old?
Does you breaker panel lack a main shut off circuit breaker?
Is your San Diego electrical service property grounded (other than the water pipe?)
Are any of your outlet boxes generating heat or do they seem warm to the touch?
Is your home protected with GFI receptacles in the kitchen, bathrooms and outdoors?
Does your bathroom (GFCI) outlet trip the breaker when a hair dryer or curling iron is being used? Does it affect more than just the bathroom?
Do your electrical cords plug tightly into the receptacles?
Do your receptacles move slightly under the cover plate when plugging in a cord?
Do your lights flicker?
Do you need to use a lot of extension cords?
Do you use space heaters?
Do you have hard wired, battery back-up smoke alarms installed?

If you suspect you are in need of an electrical safety inspection, consult with one of our highly trained San Diego electrician at Point Loma Electric for advice. We will give you an honest evaluation of your home's electrical system.

Preventing Home Fires: Arc Fault Circuit Interruptors (AFCIs)

Problems in home wiring, like arcing and sparking, are associated with more than 40,000 home fires each year. These fires claim over 350 lives and injure 1,400 victims annually. A new electrical safety device for homes, called an arc fault circuit interrupter or AFCI, is expected to provide enhanced protection from fires resulting from these unsafe home wiring conditions. Typical household fuses and circuit breakers do not respond to early arcing and sparking conditions in home wiring. By the time a fuse or circuit breaker opens a circuit to defuse these conditions, a fire may already have begun. Several years ago, a CPSC study identified arc fault detection as a promising new technology. Since then, CPSC electrical engineers have tested the new AFCIs on the market and found these products to be effective.

Requiring AFCIs

AFCIs are already recognized for their effectiveness in preventing fires. The most recent edition of the National Electrical Code, the widely-adopted model code for electrical wiring, will require AFCIs for bedroom circuits in new residential construction, effective January 2002. Future editions of the code, which is updated every three years, could expand coverage.

AFCIs vs. GFCIs

AFCIs should not be confused with ground fault circuit interrupters or GFCIs. The popular GFCI devices are designed to provide protection from the serious consequences of electric shock. While both AFCIs and GFCIs are important safety devices, they have different functions. AFCIs are intended to address fire hazards; GFCIs address shock hazards. Combination devices that include both AFCI and GFCI protection in one unit will become available soon.

Should You Install AFCIs?

You may want to consider adding AFCI protection for both new and existing homes. Older homes with ordinary circuit breakers especially may benefit from the added protection against the arcing faults that can occur in aging wiring systems. For more information about AFCIs, contact an electrical supply store, an electrician, or the manufacturer of the circuit breakers already installed in your home. Sometimes these components can be replaced with AFCIs in the existing electrical panel box. Be sure to have a qualified electrician install AFCIs; do not attempt this work yourself. The installation involves working within electrical panel boxes that are usually electrically live, even with the main circuit breakers turned off.

Services Our San Diego Safety Inspection Contractors Provide

Home Inspections
Safety Inspection
Electrical Inspection
House Inspections

Electrical Wiring
Electrical Contractors
Electricians
Home Inspectors

Electrical Work
Electrical Repairs
Safety Management
Electrical Services

Why San Diego Should Hire Us for Electrical Safety Inspections

Point Loma Electric has been San Diego's best electricians since 1988. Our team is experienced in dealing with all kinds of residential electrical problems, and we specialize in improving the electrical systems of old homes. You'd be surprised at some of the electrical wiring messes we've seen...and fixed! You can rest assured that when you hire Point Loma Electric for your home safety inspection needs, you'll be hiring professional San Diego electricians that provide quality services and positive results. We care about your safety and doing the electrical work right.

Our goal is to provide our customers through the San Diego area with complete satisfaction, whether we are doing a complete home rewiring or a simple home inspection of an electrical system. We take pride in arriving on time to complete the job, ensuring a minimal disruption to your life and home. We offer honest evaluations, and we stand behind the work we do. As fully licensed and insured San Diego electrical contractors, we have the experience and expertise to handle all your electrical needs!

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