Do inspectors actually check electrical connections...

[ezriderga]

...or do they just sign off on them? Our house was constructed in 2000 and I really wonder about this. I am in the process of adding a Pass & Seymour receptacle with built in nightlight above the light switches in the master bath.

When I removed the switches to see how I was going to wire the receptacle in I noticed the grounds were clipped and never connected to either one of the switches. This is not the first wiring defect I have found in our 13 years here.

So, apparently whoever was supposed to inspect this wiring failed to do so. Would it do any good for me to go to the city inspectors office and report it to them or would they just laugh it off?

 

[LXCam]

They do not check each and everyone unless during a "spot" check they continue to find missed or gross negligent violations. Almost always when you do your rough in inspection, if everything is done in a neat and workman like manor and the receptacles test correctly no one every looks any deeper as they expect the sparky to continue doing a proper job.

 

[Aerogt01]

From what I've read, calling an inspector out after the fact is a decent way to make enemies. It can also delay future building projects.

They would also laugh it off... at first.

 

[gregtwojeeps]

Save your gas. Yes, inspector's will look at a few outlet wiring connection's on the initial "rough in " of the house and then assume the rest of the house box wire connection's will be the same. Once a house is moved in to, changes owner's a few times, one is liable to find all kinds of issues with diy'er wiring jobs. I am dealing with the same issue in my 1959 model home. Grounds made up in some boxes well, then cut off so short in some boxes, I cannot even add a pigtail to correct . JMO

 

[smalltown]

When my son and his wife purchased their first home we found that someone had done the same: thing cutting many the ground wires. What we did was purchase an inexpensive receptacle tester to check each outlet. We were fortunate to be able to reach in, and splice a small pig tale onto the cut ground wire.

 

[finn]

The inspector used one of the cheap red tools to check each outlet for polarity, ground, and gif function on our kitchen addition. He also looked at outlet spacing, etch, but didn't check light switch grounds.

As stated, workmanship is important as to how far he goes.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

They just do the plug checks, look around, give you a small sticky type piece of paper saying you passed and leave. Never do they go in a box, inspect wire connections, or God forbid look in a ceiling or wall.

 

[James-W]

When the inspector checked my garage he wanted the breaker panel cover off and he wanted the outlets installed. He looked at the breaker panel to be sure it was grounded and he checked to make sure there were two grounding rods. He put his little checker into each outlet to make sure they were all grounded. He also checked the wiring and made sure the breakers and the outlets matched the wiring size, stuff like that. In other words, he did a pretty good job of inspecting everything electrical.

 

[Richard Cranium]

When they inspected my house, He checked the breaker box, and walked through the house pointed out a couple of places that he wanted a metal protector for the wiring. and signed off.

 

[Ilikeike]

When the inspector checked my garage he wanted the breaker panel cover off and he wanted the outlets installed. He looked at the breaker panel to be sure it was grounded and he checked to make sure there were two grounding rods. He put his little checker into each outlet to make sure they were all grounded. He also checked the wiring and made sure the breakers and the outlets matched the wiring size, stuff like that. In other words, he did a pretty good job of inspecting everything electrical.

They check an addition or remodel more thoroughly than a new home. It would take a crew of inspectors forever to do a subdivision if they checked ever switch outlet nail drain/vent plunging fixture.......... When I was doing commercial industrial stuff they were mostly interested in grounding,they'd have me pull a j-box cover here and there,but never all.

 

[ezriderga]

I knew of the guy who built our house. He had built a few before. He built this one in 2000 and we bought it from him in 2002. I think he built it to sell and took some shortcuts when he could. If I remember correctly (he's dead now) he told me his son did the wiring and I know he is not a licensed electrician. I guess that explains a lot.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Ive seen cut EGCs on a few service calls.

People are so dumb. I dont understand why some one would cut an EGC like that.

One time i discovered the UFER ground for a siemens MDP wasnt hooked up and several of the strands were knicked at a brand new mcdonalds in san jose.

 

[tfi racing]

If your house was just completed in the last few months,you may have a valid complaint to pass on to an inspector.But really,deep down inside,who really wants to be known as a rat...

 

[Norcal]

Combo inspectors don't seem to check more then a few basic things, which make inspection more a revenue thing not safety.





This what was done in 6 "self-help" homes & there was more garbage done there.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Combo inspectors don't seem to check more then a few basic things, which make inspection more a revenue thing not safety.





This what was done in 6 "self-help" homes & there was more garbage done there.

Thats why I quit doing residential new construction years ago,Thats what $10.00 an hr labor that doesnt care gets ya.
I payed my help way to good to compete with hacks like that.

 

[walrus]

Ive seen cut EGCs on a few service calls.

People are so dumb. I dont understand why some one would cut an EGC like that.

One time i discovered the UFER ground for a siemens MDP wasnt hooked up and several of the strands were knicked at a brand new mcdonalds in san jose.

Taking copper#2 out of a 100 amp breaker yesterday, the original installer apparently couldn't get all the wire into a Sq d qo breaker so he made the wire smaller by removing 8 or 10 strands,

 

[sberry]

We had a handyman type here that knows more about this kind of thing than most people do, cut the ground off every wire he came across. I don't do much side work but took a service call the other day where he had cut the ground on the water heater, the box had been replaced and instead of it he went back out of the way to connect it to old bandit with half the stuff boogered.

 

[sberry]

It isn't the labor that doesn't care and there are lot of well paid people aint worth a **** either.

 

[bigdav160]

When I removed the switches to see how I was going to wire the receptacle in I noticed the grounds were clipped and never connected to either one of the switches. This is not the first wiring defect I have found in our 13 years here.

And the danger is????? I understand if you had metal cover plates and the switch was to short there is the shock/electrocution potential. My house is older and filled with old 2 wire romex. The is not a ground wire to any light switch.

I was looking at some vacation property in old Mexico (new construction) and they didn't even have a grounded system.

 

[LEVE]

A few years ago when I'd finished the rough in had passed I'd received the OK to apply power and cover. I finished the wallboard install and made up the switches and boxes and called for a final inspection. The inspector walked into the garage and randomly picked out a couple of receptacles and plugged in a receptacle tester. That verified the correct wiring. Then he pulled out another tool and stuck it in a couple of other receptacles. It was just a dead short with an insulated handle. Of course, the breaker tripped. That satisfied the inspector and the electrical was passed. I breathed a sigh of relief, flipped the breaker back on, shook his hand and he left.

That was several years ago when the State was laying off electrical inspectors due to the construction bust. They'd gone from 9 inspectors in his office down to three and was looking at another cut.

 

[nh_yota]

Back to the original question - it really depends on the individual inspector. Some are slackers who will sign off without even looking at the house, others will inspect every single staple and wirenut in the house.

 

[Norcal]

Stupid inspector that causes a fault like that, should have been charged for replacement breakers.

 

[ezriderga]

And the danger is????? I understand if you had metal cover plates and the switch was to short there is the shock/electrocution potential. My house is older and filled with old 2 wire romex. The is not a ground wire to any light switch.

You tell me then. Why does current (no pun intended) electrical code require ground to be connected?

 

[myredracer]

When I removed the switches to see how I was going to wire the receptacle in I noticed the grounds were clipped and never connected to either one of the switches. This is not the first wiring defect I have found in our 13 years here.
[/ATTACH]

Switches normally aren't connected to a ground wire. Sometimes they do have a ground connection on them in which case you would connect to ground. The normal procedure (code requirement) when there are multiple cables with ground wires in a box is to connect one to the ground screw inside the box and then connect all of the ends together with a wire nut. There MUST be a continuous ground wire from the panel throughout all wires/cables on that circuit and ending in the last box in the run. Switches have a ground strap that connects to the box so that any exposed parts of a switch, such as the screws for the cover plate, are grounded. If you had a metal cover plate, it would end up being grounded. Sounds like you may need to do some remedial work with the ground wires.

Finding sloppy work somewhere like that can make everything suspect. I would check all the connections inside the panel for tightness and correctness. Then maybe pull a few switches, recepts. and light fixtures out and see how the connections look.

Around here, inspectors are very overworked and don't do detail inspections on residential or commercial jobs. On homeowner permits, they have a few favorite things to check like presence of a neutral bonding screw on a downstream panel, not leaving a little slack under a cable staple and GFCI recepts. where required. If on a cursory first glance at the work and everything *seems* to be in order, that's all they do and they are gone. Sometimes if they know the particular contractor and his/her work, they won't even go to the job and the contractor just sends in the paperwork into the inspec. office. Regardless, it's still the permit holder's legal responsibility to ensure the work is fully done to Code.

 

[ezriderga]

Switches normally aren't connected to a ground wire. Sometimes they do have a ground connection on them in which case you would connect to ground. The normal procedure (code requirement) when there are multiple cables with ground wires in a box is to connect one to the ground screw inside the box and then connect all of the ends together with a wire nut. There MUST be a continuous ground wire from the panel throughout all wires/cables on that circuit and ending in the last box in the run. Switches have a ground strap that connects to the box so that any exposed parts of a switch, such as the screws for the cover plate, are grounded. If you had a metal cover plate, it would end up being grounded. Sounds like you may need to do some remedial work with the ground wires.

Finding sloppy work somewhere like that can make everything suspect. I would check all the connections inside the panel for tightness and correctness. Then maybe pull a few switches, recepts. and light fixtures out and see how the connections look.

Around here, inspectors are very overworked and don't do detail inspections on residential or commercial jobs. On homeowner permits, they have a few favorite things to check like presence of a neutral bonding screw on a downstream panel, not leaving a little slack under a cable staple and GFCI recepts. where required. If on a cursory first glance at the work and everything *seems* to be in order, that's all they do and they are gone. Sometimes if they know the particular contractor and his/her work, they won't even go to the job and the contractor just sends in the paperwork into the inspec. office. Regardless, it's still the permit holder's legal responsibility to ensure the work is fully done to Code.

Thanks

 

[dittle fart around]

We had a new service panel installed in my Father-in-laws house. There was an inspection while the panel was being installed. He checked the ground to the panel. The finial inspection consisted of checking the interior for the correct number of fire and carbon dioxide sensors. That was it.

 

[frankush]

As a former inspector, I'll throw my 2 cents in. On an average day, I had approx. 25 inspections to do over a 6 hour period. There is no way in hell you can look at everything. You can ***** about inspectors, but it comes down to who is doing the shoddy work in the first place. Home owners are usually fed up with all the disruption to their everyday life, due to the construction process. Then an inspector shows up and fails the install. This extends the project, if only for a day. Who's the bad guy?

Ever been told by your superiors to look the other way? Happens every day. I'll give one example. I was called to do an inspection on a new service for an existing home. Outside looked fine. Went down to the basement and the new 200 amp panel was mounted horizontally. The cover was off and the electrician was not on site. The general contractor and homeowner were present. I asked if there was a reason the panel was mounted this way and was told it was the easiest way to do it, due to the number of pipes. When I failed the install, I got an earful. They had done it this way before and passed, I was told. They wanted to know where, in the codebook, it called for a vertical installation. I was polite and courteous the entire time, but all business. I pointed out the embossing in the back of the panel that said TOP. Manufacturer requirement. Homeowner complained to village department head. I got called in to defend my actions. Get called in enough times and you have a choice to make. Look the other way or find another job.

So, before you point fingers at who's to blame, the electrician you hired is supposed to be competent. There are boatloads of licensed electricians that I wouldn't trust with Christmas lighting. Remember, if it works, then it's got to be right. I DON'T THINK SO.

 

[James-W]

Went down to the basement and the new 200 amp panel was mounted horizontally. The cover was off and the electrician was not on site. The general contractor and homeowner were present. I asked if there was a reason the panel was mounted this way and was told it was the easiest way to do it, due to the number of pipes. When I failed the install, I got an earful. They had done it this way before and passed, I was told. They wanted to know where, in the code book, it called for a vertical installation. I was polite and courteous the entire time, but all business. I pointed out the embossing in the back of the panel that said TOP. Manufacturer requirement. Homeowner complained to village department head. I got called in to defend my actions. Get called in enough times and you have a choice to make. Look the other way or find another job.

I have always thought you could mount a circuit breaker panel any way you wanted. Is there a reason why a circuit breaker panel MUST be mounted vertically? My guess is having the word TOP on the panel is so that someone would not mount it upside down. But in any case, I would think the panel orientation would not have any effect on the functionality of the panel or the breakers.

 

[nh_yota]

I have always thought you could mount a circuit breaker panel any way you wanted. Is there a reason why a circuit breaker panel MUST be mounted vertically? My guess is having the word TOP on the panel is so that someone would not mount it upside down. But in any case, I would think the panel orientation would not have any effect on the functionality of the panel or the breakers.

I may be wrong, but my understanding is that it has something to do with a rule that when breakers are mounted vertically they must function so that OFF is downward, and only half the breakers of a normal panel would operate that way if it was mounted sideways.

Canadians can mount their panels sideways.

 

[Syberia]

So water doesn't get in is the only thing I can think of, though if it's inside and in a dry area, that wouldn't apply.

 

[Kevin54]

I had a rough and just had my final today, and since I had an electrician do it, the inspector just signed off and never actually checked anything. All in all he was here less than five minutes this morning for the final on electric. All the electrician did was tell him what was what, and where the ground fault outlets were located.

 

[Syberia]

My wife's uncle (uncle-in-law?) had an addition built on his house, and said that on final inspection, the only thing they seemed to care about was that he had low flow toilets installed. Not just in the addition, but in the entire house. He said that in his town, if you have any work done on your house at all that requires an inspection, they will make you put in low flow toilets, even if the work is not plumbing related. He calls them the toilet nazis.

 

[Norcal]

My wife's uncle (uncle-in-law?) had an addition built on his house, and said that on final inspection, the only thing they seemed to care about was that he had low flow toilets installed. Not just in the addition, but in the entire house. He said that in his town, if you have any work done on your house at all that requires an inspection, they will make you put in low flow toilets, even if the work is not plumbing related. He calls them the toilet nazis.

It's State law, not only toilets it also includes faucets & tub/shower valves, welcome to California.

 

[Syberia]

Well I just had solar installed and they're doing the inspection tomorrow. I hope they don't make me change out my toilets

Honestly I have no idea if they're low-flow or not. Bought the house in 2013, and it was majorly renovated, so hopefully they were installed then if not before. Because I really can't afford a toilet/shower replacement right now...

 

[hh76]

Years ago during the housing boom in AZ, I had an inspector pull up in his truck and never get out. He took the plans from me, glanced at the equipment, and signed off. I joked, "that didn't take long". He said he had about 50 more to do, so he couldn't get into them all.

He said he treated his job like an inspector at a beer bottling plant, " stand back as all the bottles pass by, then every once in a while pick one up and take a close look.

 

[jdsac]

Slightly off topic but a quick question-

If you get a permit to run more circuits to install recessed lighting, ceiling fans and bath fans- when would the inspector typically come out?
only one trip when you ask for a final or a rough & a final ( 2 trips)?

 

[nadogail]

Sometimes we are just like the bandits in "Treasure Of The Sierra Madre"; we don't need stinking permits.

 

[Cmreschke]

Combo inspectors don't seem to check more then a few basic things, which make inspection more a revenue thing not safety.





This what was done in 6 "self-help" homes & there was more garbage done there.

Ok first pic? What is wrong?
2nd pic question? Aside from that thing hanging on box, assuming it's just a wire skin not cleaned up or some type of debris, what is wrong? Is box 22 cubic inch?

 

[Cmreschke]

I'll guess wire fill on 2 if not a 22ci box.

 

[sberry]

Just had one check torque on main lugs, he like it. Said I must have dunnit b4.t