Voltage Drop

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by rbennett

Roy

You are a good HI, a good electrician and a good debater

Good points on your post - just remember that as the black boxes of our profession get better our time at the home comes down and the services that we can provide to our clients goes up. This saves everyone $$ and pain

We hopefully will never be better that the system professionals but we should be able to test (not just look at) the home systems

$10.00 buys a water pressure meter -
..Have one do not use it Turn on tap out comes water move on.
Who cares if it is 30 lbs or 55 lbs.
... $10.00 buys a thermometer to check the hot water temp
..Have many use it most water temp is too high shoulb be 120 or lower Write it up
- $10.00 buys a 3 light tester.
..Have on but manufacture of GFCIs says they should be tested by thest buttons
$200.00 buys a camera, etc.
Have one take many pictures for me only seldome for the client.

Radio Shack and Home Depot sell most of the black boxes that we need

I do not think we would be doing our clients a good service to go back to just a flashlight

Someone testing for VD is not a specialist
..Not my job do not do it
Someone testing for radon is not a specialist.
..Vastly over rated do test if asked and charge
Someone testing for water quality is not a specialist.
..Yes they are in Canada do not test

etc. etc. etc.
..ECT do you test TPRs if not why not they should be tested regularly at least once a year so the manfactur says .
I do no and the reason is some do not shut off after test .
I do not and will not be getting a IR camera to use with my inspection

VD is the issue and it takes little time to make the check.
And what % have you found with low voltage and how low was it.
What % have you found with high voltage and how high was it.
If the equipment was a little less $$ the home owner could do it himself.
..Do you check the size of the gas pipe to the home from the meter if not why not .
I do not as it is not part of my job , but going in the direction you are leading I should.
Do you check the size of the flues withtwo gas appliances into it.

VD testing saves $$ and gives the home owner a better picture of his electrical system

I just don't like SureTest

If you were called to a home as an electrician to inspect - would you do any VD testing to find high resistance issues??

If why - then why?

If not - then why?

Remember you know what can go wrong if someone plugs an electric space heater in the bed room to keep the kid warm.
..Yep read about it all the time I also know what happens when people smoke in a home read about it all the time.
rlb

We charge $399:00 and take about 3 hours with report handed to the client
two inspectors .
We have many who do inspection in under two hours with report and charge about $200:00.
Will I change I expect not........... Cookie

[Greg Fretwell]

How was removing the service panel cover going to find a loose connection behind the bed? That's a heluva flashlight you have.
I suppose the real question is whether an AFCI would have tripped on a loose connection (series fault).

[Richard L. Bennett]

Looks like this thread is starting to die

Please start checking for VD when your gut thinks that this is a good idea

Learn how to do it on your own home if you feel that it is something that you are not comfortable doing

Trust me you will be providing a good service to your client


rlb

[Richard L. Bennett]

George

Maybe could have saved two lives but as you know this would have probably required a complete up grade

Don't know if said breakers were even on the market when fire happened

This brings a new point to the thread

Thank you

rlb

[Richard L. Bennett]

Roy

I sense that you think that the average HI is not qualified to do some of the electrical inspections like VD

In short I agree - but with a little training (education) and I am not talking about years here I think this can be done

With your background what would you want a tester to do and how would you want the results reported

Remember we are talking about black box testers here


rlb

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by rbennett

Roy

I sense that you think that the average HI is not qualified to do some of the electrical inspections like VD
.I have no openion on if they are or are not..

In short I agree - but with a little training (education) and I am not talking about years here I think this can be done

.It is you who has a fixation on voltage drop..
With your background what would you want a tester to do and how would you want the results reported
.I guess I have not made this obvious enough.
No I would not recomend to do a voltage drop.
No test.Nothing to reprt

Remember we are talking about black box testers here.
..I see very little advantage in spending the time and effort on just Voltage drops.


rlb

You are forgetting all the other things over and above what a home inspector does on a normal visual inspection.
I recommend that a home inspector sticks to the Standard of Practice.
What makes you think all the other home inspector associations S.O.P. should be ignored.
The S.O.P. has been studied and tuned to be the most sensible method of doing home inspection over many many years.
I think basically following this is the best way for all inspections to be done.
If the SOP is not broke why try to fix it

............ Cookie
...

[Richard L. Bennett]

Roy

Good point about the SOP

I will have to think on that one

Later

rlb