A home is probably the largest single purchase you will make in your life. After saving for years to scrape together a down payment and picking the perfect home for you and your family, it’s natural to want to move in as quickly as possible.
But before you finalise your purchase, having an electrical inspection done by a licensed electrician is highly recommended to ensure your home is electrically safe. Why? Here are six good reasons everyone should have a professional electrician inspect any home electrical system before purchasing.
1) TROUBLES WITH ELECTRICAL WIRING
Electrical safety is something every homeowner should take seriously. Every year, there are roughly 300 people admitted to Australian hospitals as a result of household electrical malfunctions.
Faulty wiring and arching power points are both common culprits of household injuries and fires, but can be prevented with routine inspections by a professional.
2) SMOKE ALARM FUNCTIONING
Up to 50% of household fatalities are said to be preventable if a working smoke alarm had been present, and a fire escape routine had been practiced.
Having a licensed electrician ensure all of the smoke alarms in your new home are working properly is a critical aspect of your future electrical safety.
3) IDENTIFY OVERLOADED CIRCUITS
If there are too many devices wired into a particular electrical power point, that particular “route” will become overloaded. Overloads can begin to wreak havoc on an electrical system by first causing breakers to pop.
Over time the issue will begin to advance, and the breaker associated with the power point will eventually blow. Save yourself the aggravation of this process by identifying the issue right off the bat when you purchase the home.
4) ENSURE YOUR HOME IS UP TO CODE
Between 2009 and 2010, 96% of people who were fatally electrocuted during the course of electrical work were members of the general public, not electricians. When you buy a previously owned home, you never know what kind of repairs have been done in the years leading up to your move in.
If the previous homeowner had electrical work completed by an unlicensed electrician, there’s a possibility that some of the work wasn’t completed safely or up to code. Having a licensed electrician check all connections and devices will prevent you from running into unforeseen problems in the future.
5) CHECK FOR RECALLED DEVICES
Occasionally, some electrical devices don’t work as well as they are intended to. Although all companies issue warranties when one of their products are recalled, some homeowners can go unaware of the malfunction for years.
A licensed electrician will be able to identify recalled or malfunctioning devices, and replace them before they cause additional trouble to your electrical system.
6) UNDERSTAND THE STATE OF YOUR CURRENT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Talking to a licensed electrician about the pros and cons of your current electrical system will allow you to identify its strengths and weaknesses so that you can better plan renovations.
Your home’s electrical system is arguably the most dangerous part of your house’s construction. By having your system checked by a professional before purchasing, you can give yourself the peace of mind that your family will be safe living there, and that you won’t have to make major repairs to the system in the near future. If you need help checking the electrical integrity of a home, call us today.