Nashville Home Inspector – Exterior Electrical Installation – What’s Wrong With This Picture? 6.11.11

Nashville Home Inspector – Exterior Electrical Installation – What’s Wrong With This Picture?  6.11.11

HINT:  If you can see the romex cable at an exterior installation, it is probably a mistake.

Tapped Exterior Light

 ANSWER:  Actually, two things are wrong.  First, this electrical circuit probably is not designed to handle whatever additional load is place on it by the additional component at the other end of this romex cable.  And it is true, if you can see the romex at an exterior installation, because it is unprotected, then it is probably a mistake, as it is here.  This was an after-thought installation completed by a do-it-yourselfer.   This romex conductor was installed to supply power to another exterior light nearby.   So it is likely no one verified the circuit can handle the additional load and no one made any effort to protect this conductor from mechanical or weather damage. 

Thank you,

Richard Acree

Comments in this blog posting are the copyrighted intellectual property of Richard Acree, President, HABITEC Home and Building Inspections, LLC,  and are intended to educate and otherwise assist home owners, sellers and buyers, building owners, sellers and buyers, realtors, real estate investors, property managers, and lenders in the process of owning, buying or selling homes or commercial buildings.  HABITEC is a residential (home) and commercial building inspection company serving Middle Tennessee including Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Mt. Juliet, Hendersonville, Dickson, Belle Meade, Columbia, Spring Hill, Lebanon, Gallatin and more!  In addition to building inspections HABITEC offers Environmental Services for mold assessments, radon testing and water quality analysis.  Additional information about HABITEC can be found on our website at http://habitecinspections.com, or call 615-376-2753. 

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