Questions from Tulsa Electrical Seminar

[jtedesco1]

1. What are the repair options when circuit breakers are double tapped?

2. So what if wiring in the attic or crawl space is not stapled down! Why is this a problem?

3. Is it a problem if someone has used too heavy a gage of wire? For example, they've used 8 AWG when they should have used 10 AWG (for the dryer or A/C for example)

4. What appliances or equipment in a home needs to be on it's own dedicated circuit?

5. If a home has aluminum wiring would you discourage the buyer from purchasing the home?

6. Sometimes a handyman will staple new wiring to the exterior siding, the sheetrock wall or ceiling in a garage, along a baseboard, etc. Is this a problem?

John Murphy
River City Realty
Question:

What, exactly, is the deal with FPE, Zinsco and Pushmatic panels?

Verbiage to explain the problem. How do we explain to Realtors (who might be scared of a killed deal) that those panels are defected even when a great number of conde inspectors and electricans don't think they are a problem.

My best friend is a master electrician, used to be the asst chief electrical inspector fo City of Chicago and is not an instructor in the Union school.

He had no idea that these panels were defected and it took me a while to get the necessary documentation to prove it to him. I don't want to have to haul along all this documentation and have to produce it for every Realtor and seller's electrician who protests my call.

Hope this helps.
--
Will Decker
Decker Home Services
Skokie, IL 60076
wjd@DeckerHomeServices.comJoe,
A problem that I've encountered several times concerns arc fault breakers. In Arkansas we are required to verify polarity of outlets. I've had a couple of newer homes that my tester keeps tripping the arc fault breaker, why. On some of the breakers it will not show anything. I've also had this happen once or twice with GFCI's, why?

Most of the homes I use the tester on there is no problem.

Why is this happening and how do I report it?

Tom Bramlett
A to Z Home Inspections




Questions from Tulsa Electrical Seminar

[Paul W. Abernathy]

1. What are the repair options when circuit breakers are double tapped?
Answer: Basically the easiest options would be to remove BOTH wires from the breaker, Splice them together under a wirenut and take the correct size wire to the breaker. A tendency is to say...add a tandam breaker but you need to know if the panel itself allows these types of breakers as many that say 30/40 and so on are designed for them but older models are not. Another option would be to calculate the loads and see if their is a possible situation where you can redirect some wires and install a sub panel beside the main panel but this should be reviewed by a licensed electrician.

2. So what if wiring in the attic or crawl space is not stapled down! Why is this a problem?
Answer: well one problem with it is the potential for it to move, get stepped on and damaged. Many things can also fall on the wire and cause to pull down and can increase the chance of damage to the jacket and exposing the wires itself...and I am sure we can think of many other issues.

3. Is it a problem if someone has used too heavy a gage of wire? For example, they've used 8 AWG when they should have used 10 AWG (for the dryer or A/C for example)
Answer: right off you can always use a larger wire, provided it will fit in the applications terminal lugs or screws. Sometimes oversizing can cause the wire to not fit and then it is so often altered to fit...how many times have we seen strands removed to make something fit....this is unsafe and not allowed....so while it is ok to upsize the wire it is in many cases not economically attractive to a EC....we like to size things correctly...but the largest issue as I stated is making sure the larger wire will meet the requirements of the fitting. Many times we oversize the wire to reduce voltage drop and so on so it is rather common.

4. What appliances or equipment in a home needs to be on it's own dedicated circuit?
Answer: Well just a snyopsis...Washer Machines, Dryers,Microwaves,Range, Cooktops (cooktops and ranges -however their are exceptions to every rule ) in many areas sump pumps, water heaters...and so on.

Now the question is how dedicated do you want to get....like the (2) kitchen countertop circuits are technically dedicated....the circuit to the heatpump is technicall dedicated, dishwashers are sometimes down with disposals but some will have you preference them as dedicated circuits....Many times central vacs get a dedicated line as well....while their applicance power head uses the receptacle near the port.....

so...in closing...dedicated can be a tricky word.......

5. If a home has aluminum wiring would you discourage the buyer from purchasing the home?

Answer: Are you asking from a HI's perspective.....we should NEVER tell a client to buy or not buy a house....our reports are neutral and giving them the facts.....not all aluminum wiring is bad.....important to know that...are you talking about aluminum branch circuit wiring...well it has issues...oh most certainly...but it also have be protected, connected and spliced correctly and can be safe....while I suggest it be updated the client MUST make that choice...not me....I would not discourage anyone from doing what they want..simply not my JOB to discourage anyone...if my report does that so be it...

6. Sometimes a handyman will staple new wiring to the exterior siding, the sheetrock wall or ceiling in a garage, along a baseboard, etc. Is this a problem?

Answer: Ok...for one if it is NM-B being done this way it needs to be protected from physical damage and the same can be said for UF-NM-B , just because it is outdoor rated does not mean it does not suffer from the same potential damage issues. While it is clearly allowed to run NM-B within the walls and on the surface it MUST be done in a way to protect it from physical damage....do Handymen do it all the time...sure.....see it every day...saw it to today actually.......Just remember the location of the wire...if it has a potential for physical damage it should be protected...I wont go into dampness and ratings and locations of such....basically the way you presented it the issue is in the protection rhelm.