Electrical code violations put your home and family at risk. These code violations can happen when your system is outdated or when it’s been affected by inexperienced do-it-yourselfers.

Fitting a New Light to Old Wiring

This is a common wiring mistake. New lighting can overload old wiring because they usually operate at a hotter temperature. Newer lights are manufactured with wires that are designed the withstand 90 degrees C. Older wiring is usually rated to withstand just 60 degrees C. You should have a splice box installed with at least three feet of new wiring if your home has wiring from before 1987. This will make it safe to connect new light fixtures to old wiring and eliminates the need for you to rewire the while circuit. You can determine how old your wiring is by looking for a date stamped on the insulation jacket. Wires manufactured before 1987 will not have a date.

Crowded Electrical Box

There are times when four or five wires have been crammed through a 7/8-inch hole. This is overcrowding the wires and can lead to “burning,” because it damages the wiring when the insulation on it is torn off. Because these wires are behind the walls, they can go unnoticed and increase the risk of fire. There should only be three wires at the most running through a 7/8-inch hole to allow enough room for the wires to shift without burning. An electrician can correct this problem.

Electrical Wire Splice Without Junction Box

A connection between two or more wires is called a splice. Splicing is one of the worst code violations. Splicing can be dangerous if it’s not contained within a junction box and it’s illegal. The only time it’s legal is if it’s used for temporary lighting and circuit troubleshooting. Hire an electrician to install a junction box to run the wires, make the splice by using wire nuts and install a cover plate over the box.

Knob and Tube Wiring Dangers

Knob and tube wiring was considered to be state-of-the-art technology between the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, it’s considered dangerous because the wires are not grounded. The circuits also support lower amperage than is needed today and the wires also have insulation that can disintegrate over time. Almost all insurance companies will not insure buildings that have knob and tube wiring.

Non IC Rated Recessed Lighting

Recessed lighting that comes into contact with attic insulation must be IC-rated. If not, you have to maintain three inches of space between the lighting and the insulation. When non IC rated touches insulation, they can overheat and stop working. This can cause thermal protectors to fail and allow the light to remain on even though there is extreme heat and can cause the insulation to catch fire. Inspect your attic to ensure you don’t have any insulation touching recessed lights. If you have non-IC rated lighting, cut the insulation back or replace them with IC-rated ones.

Lighting Consultations, Fixture Installations, Wiring & More in Delray Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter & Boca Raton & Palm Beach County, Florida

These are some common electrical code violations that can make your home an unsafe place to live. Do you need help correcting code violations in your home? Contact Simon Electric today.