Home Inspection Electrical Guide Program     
  

• Certified Chief Electrical Inspector Building Officials of Florida
• Certified Chief Electrical Inspector Southern Building Code Congress
• Former Electrical Inspector Walt Disney World - EPCOT
• Registered Electrical Contractor State of Florida
• Licensed Master Electrician
• Member National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
• Member International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI)
• Owner of Code Electrical Classes Inc. Winter Park, FL.
• Certified Vocational Instructor State of Florida
• Instructor of over 28,000 Electricians
• Author of Electrical Inspection Workbook
• Author of over sixty Electrical books
• Legal consultant involving Electrical fires and deaths
• Over 62 years experience in the Electrical Field
• Electrical construction editor for the "Informer" newsletter
• President of Tom Henry's "Learn to be an Electrician" program with over 1900 enrolled from all 50 states and several foreign countries

  
    Having over 62 years in the electrical trade and the experiences I've had during this journey, I feel obligated to share them in this book to make the home a safer place to live.
    Electricity has been a permanent feature in residential occupancies for over 100 years, and it was known to be a cause of fires since the earliest days of its use. I have personally spent many hours sifting through debris after a fire, and I have witnessed homeowners who experienced an electrical fire firsthand in their homes.
    This book was NOT written as a step by step guide of how to make a total electrical inspection, but rather as a guide to make certain the Home Inspector is not overlooking the critical areas that have started fires and caused accidents.
    Why is fixed wiring the leading cause of a residential electrical fire? This book will not only take you to the causes, but also show the solutions of preventing an electrical fire before it starts with a proper electrical inspection of the home. It's your moral obligation to provide the upmost in electrical safety to the homeowner.
    Experienced investigators uniformly cite high-resistance connections as the most common electrical cause of fires. It has been estimated that 90% of electrical failures occur at connections. Loose wire connections at the receptacle outlets and switches are a common reason for an electrical fire in a residence.
    Recent studies have shown that the frequency of fires in residential electrical systems is disproportionately higher in older homes. Three factors that could influence the likelihood of a residential electrical fire are; 1) the effects of natural aging over time on the electrical system wiring and equipment, 2) misuse or abuse of the electrical system components in the home by occupants, and 3) non-Code compliant installations, upgrades, or repairs.
    Although many homes have had their electrical system upgraded or expanded over the years, many also have not. The electrical wiring within the home may be the most vulnerable to aging, as it is often buried in walls or ceilings, or installed in attics or crawl spaces that are often not used. In addition, these nonclimate controlled areas, like attics and crawl spaces, can be subjected to extreme temperature conditions and changes, as well as dampness and moisture. All of these factors can contribute to, or even accelerate, the effects of aging.



    A fire, originating in a room, would have to rage for a half hour or more before it burnt itself into a wall, during which time smoke alarms and occupants would have detected the fire in ample time to extinguish it or escape. Roughly one-third of all fires began in concealed or other normally vacant spaces. Short circuit arcs resulting from defective or worn insulation, were the leading specific failure cited for 21% of the fires, and the leading item first ignited was electrical wire or cable insulation.

It's impossible to see inside these walls when making an inspection. Today there is a proven tester that shows the impedance (resistance) of the entire circuit which includes the receptacle, the building wiring, the panel box, the meter - all the way to the transformer on the utility pole. If there is a high resistance in any connection in that circuit due to a bad splice or loose connection, or because of a damaged conductor, its condition will be revealed in this test.

    After using this tester for eight months, the National Association of Home Builders Research Center stated "Because the SureTest is able to quickly and safely apply a full load test to the circuit, we can test all circuits in a house for hidden, sometimes deadly, flaws within minutes".
    Based on the availability and ease of use of this test, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommended inclusion of the 15 ampere load test in NFPA 73, the inspection procedure for one and two-family dwellings.
    SureTest circuit analyzers were sent to electrical inspectors in 250 municipalities throughout the U.S. for a 30-60 day evaluation, resulting in an overwhelming acceptance of the load test. More than 90% of the inspectors who evaluated the hand-held load testers, purchased them after the evaluation period, and indicated their intention to integrate the load test into their inspection procedures.
    As a troubleshooting tool, the load test can save hours of time trying to locate the source of a problem. Simple to use, the load tester identifies branch wiring deficiencies and isolates hazards as the inspector moves along the branch circuit. Like a divining rod dowses for water, the load tester "points" to wiring deficiencies and receptacle hazards.
    A well-executed home inspection combines broad technical knowledge of the electrical system with an ability to communicate technical issues in terms that a layperson can understand. This book was written in an easy to understand format.
    While working as an electrical expert in a personal injury or death case I had to explain to the jury in simple terms as they were not electricians. The water analogy is used to explain electrical terms. The water pressure is the voltage, the flow of water is the amperage, the restriction in a water pipe is the resistance, and the wattage is the work being done as the sprinkler system is spraying the water on the lawn. The wattage is what you are paying for. I'll take you a walk through electricity in easy to understand terms as I did before the jury in a personal injury or death case using the water analogy.
    In my journey having prepared over 28,000 electricians for their license with seminars in over 21 states and working for years as an electrical expert in personal injury and death cases I have heard and witnessed many tragic stories of electrical accidents. When you see children burnt to ash from an electrical fire it becomes a responsibility to pass the education on in hopes that it never happens again.
    My hope is that after reading this book you will sell the idea to a homeowner that older homes need to be inspected NOW, not waiting for a resale. After reading this book you will know how to STOP the fire before it starts!
    If you're going to be a home inspector, don't just be average. Be the best inspector you can be and make the most important safety inspection in the home properly. The more we learn, the better we are as a professional inspector.

The quality of American life depends upon the safety and effectiveness of electrical application and inspection.....

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The 14 chapters are: History, Code Violations, The Service, Grounding, Overcurrent Protection (circuit breaker or fuse), Receptacles, Flexible Cords, Wiring, Electricity, The Circuit, Voltage Drop, Loose connections, AFCI, Summary. 149 pages

The two DVDs have approximately 3 hours of demonstrations of appliance overloads, cord and receptacles short circuits, the actual time it takes for a circuit breaker and fuse to open under the same conditions with an overload and short circuit, branch circuits being load tested with the circuit analyzer, over 35 demonstrations, etc... A wealth of electrical education in this program with Tom and Tim Henry. For a brief sample go to: http:youtu.be/_-FUZMPujVA

On the video you'll see Tim Henry demonstrate the circuit analyzer in action and soon realize what a valuable tool it is in locating the loose connections and preventing a fire before it starts. It will indicate the resistance of each wire and show the voltage drop. You'll see how one receptacle that had the wiring back-stabbed was corrected by wrapping the wire around the screw and by torquing the connections it reduced the voltage drop 1.8% by correcting the connections on ONE receptacle.

Receptacle performance is only as good as the electrical and mechanical contact maintained within the blades of the attachment plug. The first point of wear in a receptacle is usually the tension of the spring contacts.     Any reading by this instrument above 4 oz. indicates a serviceable receptacle, that all plugs will fit well.     After 10 years you will find receptacles that are often used where the contact blade is worn out and the receptacle needs to be replaced. The tester is insulated to be plugged into an energized circuit so it doesn't take long to check all the receptacles.

ITEM #903    Home Inspection Electrical Guide is sold only as a program which includes one Home Inspection Electrical Guide book, two DVDs (total approximately 3 hours) with Tom and Tim Henry and 35 demonstrations filmed.      $79