Ten Common Problems
House Wiring that is... The
ever excellent Taunton Press (Fine Woodworking / Homebuilding / Gardening / etc...) has a ten-point checklist for house wiring:
Ten Common Wiring Problems
A master electrician details some frequently found mistakes that could cost you your house or your life
If I were an electrical inspector, I'd have a checklist ready for anyone who came into my office asking for an inspection. I'd smile, hand them a sheet of paper and say, "Don't call me until you have checked all your wiring against this list." In fact, Code Check Electrical, an expanded version of such a list written by a former building inspector, has been published by The Taunton Press.
In a perfect world, inspectors would catch every problem. In reality, they may catch a few, or even most, but probably not all. Finding every problem means tracing every wire, staring at every cable sheath with a magnifying glass and opening every outlet box, and inspectors just don't have that kind of time. Those of us who've been in the trade for a long time are aware of how inspectors are pressed for time. Bad electricians take advantage of this situation, but good electricians wire with professional pride and won't compromise their integrity. Make sure you get the latter to do your wiring.
The first five (each comes with explanations and an illustrating graphic):
1. Small, overloaded and poorly designed main panels
2. Subpanel wired improperly
3. Accidentally using the wrong gauge of cable
4. Using 14-ga. wire on a 20-amp circuit
5. Improperly stapled cable
Very good stuff... The wiring book they mention is a $17 purchase but it should be up to the usual level of Taunton excellence although this checklist (and common sense) will get you through the most egregious of potential errors.
Posted by DaveH at April 9, 2005 10:10 PM