ECN Electrical Forum
Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals

Unfortunately Yes,I agree.

When i have a homeowner Balk- at a permit-

I simply state that Insurance may or may not cover any potential loss- for what ever reason, if the work is not on record. PITA? yes. Do I sleep well? Yes.

People- Contractors as well as home owners think the permitting issue is -- I'm at a loss for words- It just insures that the job is correct,and above board.

In my area- I have never paid more than $100.00 (USD) for a residential permit.
The only hassle has been making sure that Myself or the customer are there to give access.

This is really part of the problem. I cannot imagine a thorough inspection in less than 1/2 a day but I have seen Whole house inspections done in an hour. To do a real evaluation you need to check every plug with at least a polarity and GFCI tester. Every light fixture in old home shoudl be checked that it is not over heating the wiring and that the temperature requirment of the fixture is met by the wiring. Panel covers off and a really good look. circuiting and verifying the directory. Looking in the attic and crawl spaces. There is a lot ot look at and too much for a 1 or 2 hour call.

I guess if a house is more than 10 years old just a visual look at the plug would tell me it needs replaced. I am always seeing where the piece of plastic is always broken on the face of the plug just under the ground opening.
let alone too loose to retain a plug properly.

Just wondering if anybody has used the tension checker on this link

http://testequipmentandtools.com/acatalog/AC_Receptable_Testers.html

How about this one? This is not an offshore product, but made in the States. Looks like it would give you some good data for a meaningful inspection report.

http://www.tasco-usa.com/inspectorIII.htm

I have one of those, I also think they are making them for amprobe. Inspector 3

they look like a nice tester - what do you think of it Doug? I am considering getting one.

I use that one often in really old houses and doctors offices and treatment rooms.

I like the IDEAL 165 tester for a detailed outlet testing.

TASCO makes ( under label ) a series of Greenlee testers. ( 2007, 2011 )

Their Inspector III is a must have for Service Electricians.

http://www.tasco-usa.com/CMT24S.htm

My favorite is their Circuit Mapper. When you can't possibly shut down breaker after breaker -- it's the cat's pajamas.