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Home › Resources For You › Basic Components of the Home › Electrical › Common Electrical Defects

Common Electrical Defects

  1. Aluminum single conductor wiring on 120-volt circuits
  2. Broken light fixtures or devices
  3. Loose or inoperative ceiling fans
  4. Double tapped circuits in service or distribution panels
  5. Permanently installed extension cords or temporary wiring
  6. Frayed, deteriorated or melted insulation
  7. Missing or inoperative GFCIs
  8. Grounds loose, wire connections/clamps corroded or not properly connected
  9. Improper junctions or splices
  10. Improper main disconnect
  11. Improper exterior wiring
  12. Loose outlets and switches
  13. Knob and tube wiring (age and condition concerns)
  14. Missing cover plates
  15. Outlets with open grounds
  16. Inadequate overhead service cable clearances
  17. Oversized breakers or fuses
  18. Inoperative smoke detectors
  19. Missing carbon monoxide detectors
  20. Reversed polarity at outlets
  21. Unsecured or inadequately secured electrical cables and wiring
  22. Subpanel grounds and neutrals not separated
  23. Missing knock out(s) or unsafe openings in panel/boxes
  24. Bath lights on GFCI circuit
  25. Mystery switches (operation is not apparent)
  26. Zinsco or Federal Pacific Panels in use (Safety hazard)
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