Home inspector: Color coding different for commercial wiring

Q. Are the electrical wires in a home color-coded for positive, negative and ground? Our wires are brown, blue, and green/yellow. Which ones should we connect to which screws?

A. Residential wiring is typically black for hot, white for neutral, and green or non-insulated for ground. Yours is different because the person who wired your home used materials commonly found in commercial electrical systems. Typical color coding for commercial wiring is brown for hot, blue for neutral, and green/yellow for ground. But assumptions should never be made when electrical safety is involved. Have an electrician verify the color coding.

And rather than connecting the wires yourself, have the electrician do the work. With electrical wiring, there is often one way to do it right and many ways to do it wrong. The cost of an electrician could spare you from shocking consequences.

Q. Before we bought our house, our home inspector tested the toilets and reported that they were “functional.” Unfortunately, these tests were just “water” flushes, which failed to tell the whole story. After moving in, we had immediate problems with the toilet in the master bathroom. The fixture works ok with liquids but simply does not dispose of solid waste. In fact, the first time we flushed it, the bowl overflowed pieces of you-know-what onto the floor. Isn’t there a more reliable way for home inspectors to verify the operability of toilets?

A. A real-life test is the only reliable way to verify the operational adequacy of a toilet. This, of course, poses a practical dilemma for home inspectors who may test as many as six commodes in the course of a workday. Even with the inducement of prune juice or Epsom salt, no inspector possesses the intestinal capacity for such a demanding test regimen. The rare inspector capable of such outputs would no doubt be drained (or should we way “flushed”) by the end of the day.

As an alternate test material, inspectors could stock their toolboxes with bunches of softly ripened bananas, but this would pose logistical difficulties, not to mention the embarrassment of explaining to buyers, sellers, and agents why the toilets were suddenly clogged with chunks of fruit.

Recognizing these impracticalities, home inspectors have reconciled themselves to the routine banality of mere water flushes. Without the tactical means to repeatedly simulate everyday flush conditions, they merely observe flush action under “number one,” rather than “number two,” conditions. They check for evidence of leakage, and they ensure that each fixture is securely attached to the floor.

In nearly all cases, these inspection methods are sufficient for identification of operational defects. Unfortunately, your case was one of the rare and untidy exceptions. Fortunately, repair is likely to be routine and relatively inexpensive. The cause of overflow may simply be common blockage in the drainline or trap. If plunging fails to clear the line, have it checked by a licensed plumber.

Ÿ Email questions to Barry Stone through his website, housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.

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