Electrical Home Inspections

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Safety First! Electrical Home Inspections by our Electrician in Woodbridge, VA

There are many, many reasons why your home may be in need of an electrical home inspection by our electricians in Northern Virginia, even if you own a younger home. In fact, most insurance companies require these inspections from time to time, and you usually need one whenever you want to buy or sell a house. If your home is older (the median age of Northern Virginia houses is 34, with the average range falling between 18 years on the low end and 65 years on the high end), an electrical safety inspection can catch safety hazards caused by aging electrical wiring trying to handle modern electrical needs. In fact, we recommend (simply for general family safety reasons) that homeowners have their homes inspected annually. If you need to have an expert electrical home inspection performed, our electrician in Woodbridge, VA can help you ensure that your home is safe!

What Our Electricians in Northern Virginia Check during an Inspection:

Exterior of the Home

We examine the outside of the house to check for any possible electrical hazards lurking there. While some weathering and rust is expected on things like the meter or the pipes on the meter, if you see any exposed wiring where the insulation has been damaged or frayed, it could mean that water is getting into the main panel where it shouldn’t; and that’s a serious safety issue. Our electrician in Woodbridge, VA will also check that all exterior outlets are GFCI outlets, which are required in (or outside of) any part of the home where they might be exposed to water.

After surveying the outside of your home and noting any possible electrical problems, our Northern Virginia electrician will carefully inspect the situation inside your home. There are a lot of areas that could pose potential problems, particularly in older homes:

Outlets and Switches

Many older homes still have the old two-pronged outlets instead of the safer, grounded three-pronged outlets. These need to be replaced. If appliances plugged into outlets frequently lose power, feel loose when you plug something in, spark, or have any signs of burning around them, they also need replacing. We also check to ensure that GFCI outlets are installed properly in all of the “watery” areas of the home (kitchen, bathrooms, laundry rooms) Switches in high-traffic areas of the home may also need replacing. These are not DIY jobs. For safety reasons, our electricians in Northern Virginia should take care of it.

Aluminum Wiring

Many homes built in the 1960s and 70s were constructed with aluminum wiring, which has turned out to be a significant fire hazard in many, but not all cases. During the inspection, our electrician in Woodbridge, VA will check behind switch and outlet plates to see if this may be a problem in your home.

Attics, Basements, Utility Rooms

We check the condition of any wiring in these rooms to ensure it is in good condition and not in any danger of water damage.

Electrical Panels and Subpanels

If your home is older, it is critical to make sure your home does not have a discontinued or recalled electrical panel model (Zinsco, Federal Pacific, GTE/Sylvania and I-T-E Pushmatic brands need to be replaced). Our electricians in Northern Virginia will also check the condition of the electrical panel, and assess whether or not your family’s electrical usage is overtaxing the system. If so, an upgrade may be necessary for safety reasons.

During an electrical home inspection our electrician in Woodbridge, VA checks many other safety aspects in the home that can affect electrical function and safety. We check appliance circuits, look for water damage in electrically sensitive areas, make sure all of the smoke alarms are in good order, and also evaluate the light fixtures and ceiling fans. We leave no circuit, outlet, or loose wire unchecked!

So if you are looking for electricians in Northern Virginia who can provide you a top-notch electrical safety inspection for your home, call us at (703) 494- 3989. It could be the key to keeping your home and family safe from danger!

Bill Root

About the author

During my tenure at Root Electric, I lead the transition of Root Electric from a primarily sub-contracting based business model to a prime-contracting based business model. Accomplishments have been made by developing a team based approach to researching and implementing a service-specific client management system.

My goals for the next five years are to fine tune Root Electric's brand strategy and to diversify its scope of services, while remaining true to the discipline of electrical work.