Electrician points finger at home inspector
Q: When we bought our home, we hired a home inspector to check it out, including the electrical system. He reported a list of routine defects but said nothing about the adequacy of the electrical service. Last week we called an electrician to do some minor repair work, and he said our electrical panel does not meet code and must be upgraded to current requirements. According to the electrician, our home inspector should have mentioned this in his report. The cost for a new panel is over $1,500. Shouldn't our home inspector have reported this problem?
A: The answer to your question depends on the age of your home and the current demands on the electrical system. Older homes often have service panels with smaller capacity than would be required for a newer home. Since the mid-1950s, most homes have a service capacity between 100 to 200 amps, depending upon the overall electrical demand on the system. In older homes, going back to the early 1940s, 70-amp breaker panels were common, and homes predating World War II often had 30-amp fuse boxes.
The service panels in these older homes were intended to accommodate smaller electrical demands because there were far fewer electrical fixtures and appliances in use back then. However, this does not mean every vintage home needs a service upgrade.
If the main service in a home is an old 30-amp fuse box, that would be seriously substandard, and a competent home inspector would normally recommend an upgrade. If the system is a 70-amp breaker panel from the 1940s or '50s, a home inspector would need to point out that it is marginally adequate, but upgrading that kind of system would not be necessary in every case. In a small home with few built-in appliances, an old 70-amp panel might be reasonably acceptable. However, if an old home with a 70-amp panel had been enlarged, or if the kitchen had been remodeled and a host of modern appliance had been added, then a larger-capacity electrical service would be in order.
Ask your electrician to provide a written load calculation. This is a mathematical computation to determine the service size necessary to meet the electrical demands of your home, based upon the numbers and sizes of circuits and fixtures in the building. Then contact your home inspector and ask that he come to your home to reinspect the panel and comment on these considerations.
Q: I found my dream home and had it inspected this week. The only item of concern involved some roof repairs. The seller offered me a choice. He can repair the roof or subtract the cost of repair from the price of the home. What do you recommend?
A: The seller's offer to repair the roof is acceptable if the work is done by a licensed roofing contractor, not by the seller himself. If he gives you a credit through escrow, the amount should be according to a written bid from a licensed roofing contractor.
• To write to Barry Stone, please visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com.
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