How t find out if your electrical wiring is up to code

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Asked by
Kathie

Hi. How t find out if your electrical wiring is up to code? Any help would be appreciated. Gee Wizz I am stuck.

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Jose

"It means your electrical wiring has serious issues..."

As the English say, don`t fix what is not broken. So basically, if you have problems with your TV, like does it ever stop out of nowhere? Do your bulbs get burnt too often? If the answer is yes, it means your electrical wiring has serious issues, it could either be too old either have a short circuit somewhere. Hire an electrician for about $200 an hour he can fix anything related to wiring within a day. John Russel

This answer closely relates to:

Wiring up to code

Q. Are us electrical wiring codes local, state or national? and can you find out about them on-line?
i would like to check out the wiring in my house in the us, and update it if needed. i have put in standard wiring in italy, but i don't know what the code standards are in the us.

"For the most part every code follows the national electric code as..."

for the most part every code follows the national electric code as published by the national fire protection assoction. however there are local and state additions to this code in some places. the easiest way to avoid problems is to talk to a local inspector. contary to common belief they don't like failing someone and usually are all to willing to work with you. another thing to remember is under the NEC it is the inspector that decides what meets the code and his word is final. there is no appeal.

Q. Electrical wiring in minnesota homes?
i can't seem to find this answer anywhere on the net, but does anybody know what gauge electrical wiring is code in home construction in minnesota? i heard 12 gauge, but i believe my home built in 2003 was done so with 14 gauge. when doing some electrical work in my home in 2004 with my father-in-law, our local menards also said 14 gauge was code at the time, at least that's what we heard. i just had another contractor over to help finish our basement off, and said code was 12 gauge.

The gauge of wire is dependent on 1. the current 2. the length (voltage drop) That is, you need to account for voltage drop. The gauge for a 20 amp circuit that is only 5 ft in length would be different than for a 20 amp circuit that runs 300 ft.

Q. Electrical code 1958?
i am buying a house built in 1958 (in san diego). i just had the inspection today. in the breaker box, one 15a breaker is powering 2 wires instead of one. (i don't know what the second wire is powering) the house only has to be up to the code in 1958 for installed equipment to be sold, but that seems like it wouldn't even be up to code for back then. there isn't a main breaker, so it seems like the breaker could easily get overloaded and start a fire...but maybe that was acceptable back then. does anyone know where i can find residential electric code for 1958? i understand having not having a main breaker has nothing to do with the 2 wires in the one breaker except if there was a main breaker, the house would have backup protection at least in case the overloaded breaker failed because it was overloaded beyond its current interrupting capacity. as for the 1958 code, i was told the seller is obligated to do the repairs prior to sale if it isn't up to the code of the year in which it was built. otherwise he is not obligated to fix it. my concern is the risk of fire with no main breaker and an overloaded breaker. "fixer upper" is a loose term. bad carpet and a hole in the wall isn't the same as a gas leak or structural problems.

"One house the wiring was so wrong the power company..."

???? the main breaker has nothing to do with overload the 15amp breaker You could connect 1000 wires to one break if at any point the load is more than 15amps the breaker would trip And your info about it needs to be up to the 1958 code is wrong and very misinformed. If every time a house is sold it is required to be up to a some code then no one could every buy a "fixer upper" ******update the fact is your house has a main breaker you just don't know where it is. Check at the meter socket or there must be an other panel feeding the panel you are looking in. If your house didn't have a main break it would not be safe to live in and the local inspector would not allow people to live in the house. The main breaker does not need to be in the panel. Again whoever told you the 1958 code would have any affect on a sale of a house today doesn't know what they are talking about. I am a master electrician and i have been involved in many projects where people buying and selling fixer uppers. One house the wiring was so wrong the power company would not turn the house on until it was fixed and that house sold just fine before it was fixed. You just cant hide known hazards from the buyer. And a house that was wired to 1958 code or had repairs done according to 1958 would have many hazards

Q. What's hot, neutral and ground in a three wire electrical cable?
ok, i offered to install a ceiling fan at my g/f house,thinking it would be a simple job to do. now i find that there are 3 wires sticking out of a ceiling light fixture box . with no color coding ! how do i find out which is the hot, neutral and ground wire ? i do own a volt meter but don't know how to use it. please help!

"With no color code (which is illegal..."

with no color code (which is illegal, so some amateur must have installed these)? you are in trouble. A voltmeter will tell you which is hot, but you can't distinguish neutral from ground. You will have to trace the wires back. If the wires are "sticking out of the box", then look inside, the three may be tied to other wires inside the box, which will be color coded (I hope). .

Q. This question must be answered by a person owning a copy of the 2008 national electrical code?
here's my challenge: (1) i moved into an apartment that had no gfcis in the kitchen about 20 inches from the water faucet; (2) on daylight savingstime day, i went to check the batteries in my smoke detector and was surprised to see that the detector was hard wired - it was also melted and showed black soot around various connections (i immediately went to the fire department - they were furious, thought that the fire inside the device had happened a long time ago and obviously hadn't been tested in years - i went me home with 2 smoke detectors which i immediately installed); (3) for a month or so my kitchen ceiling light didn't work, and i suspected old bulbs. i took off the fixture last week to find no bulbs, but all burned wires inside; and (4) 3 days ago i pulled the chain to turn on my closet light, it came out of the wall, sparks shot out, and its breaker won't reset. i need proof for management that i need a licensed electrician for these issues. please site the code section i'm on a first-name basis with the county's building inspector and the fire chief. since the 2008 copy went into effect on february 1st, our little county just doesn't have the time to check each section of the nec and since they know i'm a lawyer - they thought i'd be capable of handling the research. trust me, when this all comes together, it will be featured on a local news "investigative" report - i've already got the producer working on "copy" - i'm just too lazy [well, really, i'm not supposed to leave the home right now to go to the library since my b/p is 225/130 and no md can figure out what to do - a little bit of a medical disaster here!]. there are issues which prevent me from moving that i can't give details about - has to do with my former career as a federal prosecutor... anyway, the person with the 2002 - i'm sure 2008 hasn't changed that portion of the code! thanks to everybody! barb - abc extinguisher in hand!! (it's a 1,400 unit complex, no less!) 1. our county did adopt the 2008 nec. 2. there is a huge possibility that the wiring is aluminum. 3. the wall closet socket pulled out by the wires - they are hanging down the wall with the socket dangling at the end. the bulb in the socket was 40w and it is designated as nothing over 75w. 4. the problem with the smoke detector was that all of the wires inside were melted together. this is just additional information that makes a number of people believe that the entire building is not wired correctly. 5. the building is 16 years ago (long after the gfci rule was enacted in the nec); however an inspector (in fact, the one who gave the owners the certificate of habitability) was fired 18 months after this building was inspected for accepting monetary bribes from owners. he has died in the meantime. my only question is whether these repairs should be done by a person holding a license. as far as 20/20 goes, you have no idea of the other much more serious

"The several instances of failed wiring you report are a matter of concern..."

Since you're a lawyer: 1. The Year of the NEC that applies to new construction is decided by the municipality. (Not all Cities use the latest Code) 2. When a building is granted a Certificate of Occupancy, that's the Code that applies. Updates to existing buildings can be required by special ordinance, but otherwise, once it's approved, it's 'grandfathered'. If you are concerned with Code compliance, you need to know when the building was approved. The several instances of failed wiring you report are a matter of concern. They indicate that the entire wiring system is suspect. Is this by any chance aluminum wiring? - There have been instances where this is not properly terminated leading to the sort of problems you describe. If you're aquainted with the Inspector, he's the one to whom suspicions of an existing, or emerging, hazard should be reported.

Q. Electric wiring questions?
i'm trying to wire my new garage and have some questions i can't find in code about running the wire thru the wood framing. 1. when i drill holes in the top plate to run my circuits out, how many 5/8" holes (or larger?) should i drill for 10 exiting circuits of 12/2 wire and one of 10/2? i don't want to get into trouble of weakening the wood structure which is 2x6. 2. is it ok to cut a dual switchbox and/or outlets into a sheer panel wall? 3. when i run wires on top of the trusses, must they run along the sides of trusses (exposed for now) or can i save wire by diagonally running the wire fed thru and stapled to the top of each truss (24" spacing)? 4. there are "burn blocks" at the 10' level on one wall that i must drill into. do i need to put something in the holes to re-seal it after the wire is in? if so, what? thanks for any helps! my first electrical project and it is permitted and will be inspected. i want to carefully do it right.

1. Usually you wouldn't want more than (2) 12-2 wires running through a single hole and (1) 10-2. A top plate shouldn't be "load bearing", therefore drilling holes in it shouldn't weaken structure. 2. I would think it would be more than safe to cut a 2 gang box into sheer wall. 3. Wires can definitely be run along the top of trusses, being stapled every 54" max. You don't want to drill any holes in trusses. 4. fire caulk can be purchased to fill up the holes after you have drilled the fire blocks.

Q. How do i find out if the place i am renting is uninhabitable? it's awful!?
i found this seemingly cute mother-in-law while my husband was away on business and a little over a year later, its become a disaster. everything seemed fine when i found it, albeit it was extremely old, but it was so quaint and cute, and clean looking, i decided to go for it. now the tub constantly leaks at the knobs and underneath where the tile is, the front door doesn't have any seals around it because they have all worn off over time so anything can get in at the bottom/sides including the air outside and bugs/mice. plus the latch doesn't work so it constantly blows open unless the deadbolt it locked. also, we have found some pretty gross dark black mold spanning about 5 feet on the walls in the closet. it's awful! just recently we have seen mice running around in the kitchen like they aren't even scared of us, and can hear them all over in the walls. i know it is infested because we've caught 5 in the last month. the thing is, that landlords are so lazy that they won't fix any of these problems. they continue to say they will, then they wont. its been 7 months since the problems have risen, and its getting worse. now the mice are dying in the walls and the place stinks so bad! plus my husband has taken some electrician courses for his job and says that the place isn't even to code. the bathroom isn't grounded and half of the outlets don't work, and there are wires sticking out in places that we didnt notice until after we moved in. plus all of the windows and back door are sealed shut and we've been told (after signing the contract) not to try to open them. since everything is only one pane, the cold comes in and chills the whole house. we have one little stove fireplace thing that can barely heat one room. all of the walls inside somehow are retaining moisture and when we put our hands on them, there are little water beads. some of them are wood paneling so im scared to think of the mold that might be hiding under there. and the baseboards have started to crack apart, showing us there are miceholes all over. plus we have seen cockroaches, spiders, and tons of ants. now i could've been more thorough checking it before agreeing to sign, but the walkthrough seemed find, and i assumed for them to rent, things would have to be kept up or fixed. my husband and i are very clean people, it's just that all of these things, are things that have happend over a years worth of time and without maintenance (that landlords should be doing) have basically ruined that place. now i am wondering if there is any way to prove that it isnt safe, so we can get out of our contract. whether someone come in and test the mold, or we find documents that show what the electrical coding needs to be. or anything! we just don't want to sink our own money into something that isnt ours, and that we pay rent to have fixed! we have 6 months left and i don't know if i can stand 6 more days. i am pregnant (3 months along) and am worried about my health, and the baby's. also the smells of the mold and dead mice are making me sicker than i should be! can anyone help, please?!

"Call code enforcement rerading those concerns..."

Call code enforcement rerading those concerns. The place does not have to meet todays code, but the code from when it was built. It may take awhile for the enforcement people to look all of that up, so be patient. As far as vermin goes, you need to give your landlord a written notice that they are an issue. If he has not send an exterminator within 30 days you can do this yourself and send him the bill. The mold needs to be cleaned with a mild bleach solution. Mold exists everywhere, testing for it does not mean much. It is the toxins 2 strains can release that can cause problems, but none of those mold will be growing in your closet. You landlord will have to have someone open the walls to remove dead mice. It is unusual for this to happen, but I have seen it happen. Try killing them with commercial bait, it will dry the bodies too fast for them to rot.

Q. We were sold a crappy condominium. do we have a case?
i realize this was completely our fault but i will try to keep this brief: about two years ago my mother decided she did not want to move from the apartment complex we lived in so she decided to buy a place in the complex, it was $175,000 and $1,300 a month which i thought was pretty steep. we were new to the state and my mother never went for any outside consultation, as soon as the ink dried that's when the problems started: the owners bailed and sold and companies bought condo's in bulk and then re rented them out to section 8 recipients, then the security gates broke down and they never fixed them, then apartments began to be abandoned. then our central air shut off and stopped working, our pipes leak frequently and i just found out our electrical wiring is not up to code and that they use aluminum wiring instead of copper also our bathroom ceiling fell in. when we tried to move my mother found out that we were locked in to live in the house for two years but who would want this place and in the economic downturn we're in i hardly think anyone is buying. worst of all the electricity shuts off a lot and there is mold growing in the adjacent apartments and i think it is making me sick, as soon as i leave for school i feel fine but when i enter the house i start sneezing and getting a blocked nose, coupled with the heat since we have no a/c i'm miserable in the house. do you think there is a way to sue anyone?, the bank tried to take us to court for unpaid mortgage and i almost beat the crap out of they guy because of the hell we were locked into. we were technically sold a house not up to code that was appraised by the sellers shouldn't that constitute as fraud? thank you for the answers so far i do realize this was our fault but i do believe i still have a reason to be mad, since there is probably not a legal way out of this, is it possible for us to at least have problems caused by other apartments fixed? it just seems that electrical work without consulting the complex could be dangerous (even though nobody is ever there) and the mold from the next apartment is making me sicker by the day.

It isn't the bank's fault. Honestly, your mother made a mistake, what you are entitled to will be clearly documented on any papers you have signed. The world doesn't work in a way where you can make a mistake, realize it then try to sue your way out of it. By the way, as a condominium owner you own a percentage of the complex. You and everyone else who has a stake are responsible for the general upkeep of the apartment. This is one of the things that bother me about US nowadays. Frivolous lawsuits left and right. I can see why you are angry. However, who do you have to blame? You want the bank to pay for a stupid mistake you made? So I can just go out, buy an apartment without doing my homework, and demand compensation from the bank because I screwed up? How did the bank lock you into hell? Anyways, you can try renting out the apartment or something and cut your losses. @Kim S - you took the words out of my mouth. The economy is only the way it is today because people go out and make financially irresponsible decisions and once things go south, "want to beat the crap out of the mortgage broker" or sue everyone in sight. Thanks a lot.

Q. P0135 error code, 2005 honda civic ex problem?
i have a 2005 civic ex that i bought 2 years ago and the check engine light has been on since then... i just never realized because the seller had put electrical tape behind the light inside the dash. a friend scanned it for me and it told me to replace the o2 sensor in bank 1... and so i did with the original sensor the dealer had on the car when released. anyway... afterwards the light had still stayed on so we scanned it again and it came up as a p0135 error, basically a problem with the heating circuit. i took it to a mechanic to get it checked out and left it there for a couple days so he could check the wiring. he couldn't find the wiring problem and just handed the car back to me with the problem still there. he mentioned it may have something to do with my car's computer but wasn't sure. "i'm 80-90% sure it has to do with your car's computer and you may have to get it replaced." does anyone know what the problem may be? or was he right? how much will this cost me to get fixed? and how much can this hurt if i chose not to fix the problem? thank you for the advice. i've had it reset already and it came back on almost instantly after i started the car back up =\

I had that light come on (2005 Civic Hybrid). I called the NRMA(road service) and they said watch and see is any other indicators show up and then see the dealer. It went off the next day. When I next had it serviced, they checked it, reset it and didn't come back on - ever since. No extra charge. My advice: take it to the dealer for a service, just for the peace of mind.

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