Electrical Inspection
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Electrical Inspection
Hey folks, buying my first house and the inspection report came back with a couple of items I'd like to run by y'all.
The house is old, so it doesn't have a grounding system (to my knowledge).
1) The inspector recommended a grounding rod under the meter. My question is this -- what will that do (especially if none of the internal wires are grounded)?
2) He said the panel was "not bonded to grounding system". What is the fix for this?
3) If the house isn't grounded, should I consider GFCI breakers instead? That seems like an easier fix than running grounding wires everywhere, which I don't plan on doing anyway.
Thanks.
The house is old, so it doesn't have a grounding system (to my knowledge).
1) The inspector recommended a grounding rod under the meter. My question is this -- what will that do (especially if none of the internal wires are grounded)?
2) He said the panel was "not bonded to grounding system". What is the fix for this?
3) If the house isn't grounded, should I consider GFCI breakers instead? That seems like an easier fix than running grounding wires everywhere, which I don't plan on doing anyway.
Thanks.
#2
Member
1- Grounding rod is mainly for lightning protection. Also want your cable, satellite and land lines bonded to it as well.
2 - A short jumper is the fix depending on what is really wrong.
3 - Different issue. If the wiring from the electrical panel to the receptacles does not have a grounding wire then you should only have 2 prong receptacles. Using GFCI receptacles is a legal solution to provide the third prong for most areas.
You would be better served if you hire an electrician to review what is there and give an estimate of what it would take to fix. A home inspector knows the basics but are known to make mistakes.
2 - A short jumper is the fix depending on what is really wrong.
3 - Different issue. If the wiring from the electrical panel to the receptacles does not have a grounding wire then you should only have 2 prong receptacles. Using GFCI receptacles is a legal solution to provide the third prong for most areas.
You would be better served if you hire an electrician to review what is there and give an estimate of what it would take to fix. A home inspector knows the basics but are known to make mistakes.
#3
Forum Topic Moderator
You would be better served if you hire an electrician to review what is there and give an estimate of what it would take to fix.
Do you have any pictures of the panel or the rooms with receptacles/switches? We may be able to point you in a general direction... but might be easier to get an electrician in to take a look.