# Home inspectors



## Auselect (Dec 2, 2011)

I sat in on a presentation from a home inspector and one of the things he noted that he looks out for on his inspections is double tapped breakers, two wires in the same terminal.
What do you guys think of that?
I have done it in the past and didn't really think much of it, does any one know what manufactures state whether you can or can't do it???


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Some manufacturers are listed for it. Square D is one.


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

It's frowned upon here. I have done it before. It seems to me that both time was for e-lighting coming in a panel from two different directions.


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## jimmy21 (Mar 31, 2012)

i didn't know that was even questionable. I always pigtail them


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## Zparme (Nov 11, 2010)

I get a call every now and then where a home buyer says their inspector wants the double taps fixed. I like it. Easy money to just go in and pigtail it.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Zparme said:


> I get a call every now and then where a home buyer says their inspector wants the double taps fixed. I like it. Easy money to just go in and pigtail it.


Easy Money..:thumbup:


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

I've done a good amount of home inspector report corrections for various local real estate agencies. I've noticed a common trend.... they're all really good at noticing double tapped breakers, J-boxes without covers, missing KO bushings, and the like. At the same time they'll miss the real doozies, like the receptacle circuit landed on the 30 amp heater circuit breaker or the half melted down meter base.

I've had several that stated, "No main breaker present in electrical service panel." Every time, it turns out to be an old split bus panel.

Not making blanket statements, as I'm sure there are plenty of qualified and knowledgeable home inspectors out there. There just aren't any here.


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## Auselect (Dec 2, 2011)

Zparme said:


> I get a call every now and then where a home buyer says their inspector wants the double taps fixed. I like it. Easy money to just go in and pigtail it.


Really, I've been told that no wire nuts are allowed in a panel, do you remove the wires, jbox it, then bring down a new feed?
Or have I just been given the wrong info, actually I had an electrical inspector make me remove the wire nut connections out of a panel once...


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

erics37 said:


> I've done a good amount of home inspector report corrections for various local real estate agencies. I've noticed a common trend.... they're all really good at noticing double tapped breakers, J-boxes without covers, missing KO bushings, and the like. At the same time they'll miss the real doozies, like the receptacle circuit landed on the 30 amp heater circuit breaker or the half melted down meter base.
> 
> I've had several that stated, "No main breaker present in electrical service panel." Every time, it turns out to be an old split bus panel.
> 
> Not making blanket statements, as I'm sure there are plenty of qualified and knowledgeable home inspectors out there. *There just aren't any here.*


You're NOT alone.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

As an exersice i researched HI's qualifications a while back, seems about 1/2 the states have any manner of HI benchmark, and those that don't have the highest litigation rates against HI's

go figure!

~CS~


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

Auselect said:


> I sat in on a presentation from a home inspector and one of the things he noted that he looks out for on his inspections is double tapped breakers, two wires in the same terminal.
> What do you guys think of that?
> I have done it in the past and didn't really think much of it, does any one know what manufactures state whether you can or can't do it???





Auselect said:


> Really, I've been told that no wire nuts are allowed in a panel, do you remove the wires, jbox it, then bring down a new feed?
> Or have I just been given the wrong info, actually I had an electrical inspector make me remove the wire nut connections out of a panel once...


I'll ask the question everyone is thinking about. Do you have a codebook? Have you ever used it?


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

_yes_

which is why i recieve few HI calls anymore

~CS~


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## Roger. (Dec 18, 2011)

Auselect said:


> Really, I've been told that no wire nuts are allowed in a panel, do you remove the wires, jbox it, then bring down a new feed?
> Or have I just been given the wrong info, actually I had an electrical inspector make me remove the wire nut connections out of a panel once...


Spend a few minutes reading 312.8, read the whole section, do not stop half way through it.

HI's are observers, nothing more. I always just told the HO what was wrong about the HI's report and fixed the items that were actually violations.

Roger


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## Auselect (Dec 2, 2011)

Roger. said:


> Spend a few minutes reading 312.8, read the whole section, do not stop half way through it.
> 
> HI's are observers, nothing more. I always just told the HO what was wrong about the HI's report and fixed the items that were actually violations.
> 
> Roger


Good point, guess I was just being lazy, thanks for the reference, I'll check it out tonight


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Hi's are a litigation magnet for HO's that assume boocoo $$$$$ of repair work POST sale Roger

in my experience, the quickest way to loose biz with any of them is to point out their to do list involves soliciting 'qual_ified observers'_ who have a responsibility to point out what they miss

lest we _(should we choose to wear blinders for a quick $$$)_ are also sucked into the litigant malestrom

been there, done that, still got my Tshirt

~CS~


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## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

The real estate agents I work for just show me the inspectors report, and tell me to do the work. Very easy money.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Auselect said:


> Really, I've been told that no wire nuts are allowed in a panel, do you remove the wires, jbox it, then bring down a new feed?
> Or have I just been given the wrong info, actually I had an electrical inspector make me remove the wire nut connections out of a panel once...



Charlie's Rule

It doesn’t say what you think it says, nor what you remember it to have said, nor what you were told that it says, and certainly not what you want it to say. And if by chance you are its author, it doesn’t say what you intended it to say. Then what does it say? It says what it says. So if you want to know what it says, stop trying to remember what it says, and don’t ask anyone else. Go back and read it, and pay attention as though you were reading it for the first time.


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## Zparme (Nov 11, 2010)

Auselect said:


> Really, I've been told that no wire nuts are allowed in a panel, do you remove the wires, jbox it, then bring down a new feed?
> Or have I just been given the wrong info, actually I had an electrical inspector make me remove the wire nut connections out of a panel once...


check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImVrFcqkvm0


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

480sparky said:


> Charlie's Rule
> 
> It doesn’t say what you think it says, nor what you remember it to have said, nor what you were told that it says, and certainly not what you want it to say. And if by chance you are its author, it doesn’t say what you intended it to say. Then what does it say? It says what it says. So if you want to know what it says, stop trying to remember what it says, and don’t ask anyone else. Go back and read it, and pay attention as though you were reading it for the first time.


you'd have made a fine lawyer 480.......~CS~


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Lep said:


> The real estate agents I work for just show me the inspectors report, and tell me to do the work. Very easy money.


_i just ordered the trucks_ echos in that Lep

~CS~


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

chicken steve said:


> _i just ordered the trucks_ echos in that Lep


Holy crap, you are one cryptic dude.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

chicken steve said:


> you'd have made a fine lawyer 480.......~CS~


It's not my quote.


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## Roger. (Dec 18, 2011)

chicken steve said:


> in my experience, the quickest way to loose biz with any of them is to point out their to do list involves soliciting 'qual_ified observers'_ who have a responsibility to point out what they miss


Steve, I never had to worry about losing "their" business.

Roger


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Speedy Petey said:


> Holy crap, you are one cryptic dude.


only to some Pete

the orgin of _"i just ordered the trucks",_ a once popular expression, comes from here>


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_principles


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Roger. said:


> Steve, I never had to worry about losing "their" business.
> 
> Roger


Then 'they' are either very consice , or forgiving Rog....


~CS~


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## jbfan (Jan 22, 2007)

chicken steve said:


> _i just ordered the trucks_ echos in that Lep
> 
> ~CS~


Unbelievable, but I get this one!:laughing:


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## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

chicken steve said:


> _i just ordered the trucks_ echos in that Lep
> 
> ~CS~


I think you mean that you agree with me.Is that correct?


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Lep said:


> I think you mean that you agree with me.Is that correct?


 
Lep, 

a major defense element at the Nuremburg trials was to claim they were just _'following orders'_, which spawned the ever popular (or so i had thought) _'i just ordered the trucks'_ quip.

This wasn't all that crypitc a generation ago, but i suppose it's gone the way of _here come da judge_ , or _groovy_

The analogy follows suit in that we, as licensed professionals are often called in on the heels of what have never held one 

the onus of r_esponsibility_ then falls upon the highest qualified viewer /participant , especially if solicited for a $$$

to hammer it home a tad (not trying to pick on you.....)

if your mechanic refused to acknowledge a blown head gasket, after you told him to check the spark plugs.....

if your cardiologist prescribed asprin to your wive via your neighbors advice, after witnessing an obvious mitrial valve prolapse via 12 lead ekc.....

_see...?_

~CS~


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## Wingman2002 (Jan 2, 2011)

I would like to see a blurb in the inspection report that would state .... Although it conformed to the codes at the time it was constructed, by the current code .... and then state what ever they found. I went to one today that the sellers husband wired this house in the 70's. He passed away a few years ago and the kids have talked her in to selling the house. The HI put in his report that it would cost $5,000.00 to make needed repairs to the electrical. She is asking $85,000 for a house that is probably worth $125,000 and the buyers offered her $55,000 because of the inspection report. I understand there are no GFI's, smoke detectors and the panel box is not adjacent to the meter base!! The house was not wired to the 2011 code in 1970!! He even stated the concrete driveway should be torn up and redone because of damaged from tree roots at an estimate of $18-20,000. She was about to cry and said she guessed she would take the offer because she did not have the money to make all the repairs and the house was paid for!


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## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

I have no idea how you relate Nazi concentration camps, to a silly electrical work order.
Of course if there is something stupid on the work order, I'll bring it to somebody's attention my point is there is a mutual trust between agent , inspector, electrical contractor to make a home buyer happy.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Lep said:


> > I have no idea how you relate Nazi concentration camps, to a silly electrical work order.
> 
> 
> so much for historical metaphors 101.....
> ...


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## Bootss (Dec 30, 2011)

chicken steve said:


> Lep said:
> 
> 
> > so much for historical metaphors 101.....
> ...


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