A Missing Jumper Wire At The Water Meter

A much more important reason that Minneapolis requires a jumper wire at the water meter is that it was once acceptable for the electric service to use the water distribution piping in the house as a grounding conductor.

Study Guide: Electrical, Electrical, BusinessReuben SaltzmanJanuary 26, 2010bonding clamp, ground clamp, ground strap, ground wire, grounding clamp, grounding strap, grounding wire, jumper clamp- ground jumper, Jumper Wire, minneapolis RR, minneapolis RRE, minneapolis truth in housing Comments

How To Correct Double Tapped Circuit Breakers

Double tapped circuit breakers are one of the most common electrical defects that I find while doing home inspections in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and they're usually one of the easiest defects to correct.

Study Guide: Electrical, ElectricalReuben SaltzmanJanuary 19, 2010double lug, double lugging, double tap, double tapped, double tapped circuit, double tapped circuit breaker, double tapping, how to correct double tap, how to fix double tap Comments

Christmas Lights - What Would It Take To Start A Fire?

Don’t use frayed cords, don’t use damaged lights, blah blah blah. I think most people know all this stuff. I was curious what could really pose a threat if you’re using new lights and new extension cords, so I thought I’d do a little math and figure it out.

ElectricalReuben SaltzmanNovember 26, 2009christmas light fire, christmas light safety, holiday light fire, holiday light safety Comments

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs), Part 2

This week I'll talk about the different types of GFCI devices, how to test them, what drives me crazy with them on home inspections, and what some of the newer features are.

Electrical, Study Guide: ElectricalReuben SaltzmanNovember 10, 2009GFCI, GFCI breaker, GFCI outlet, GFCI requirements, GFI, ground fault, ground fault circuit interrupter

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs), Part 1

For this this week and next week's blogs, I'll be waxing on GFCI outlets. I'll talk about what they do, why they're so important, what you need to know about them, and how to test the outlets in your own home

Study Guide: Electrical, ElectricalReuben SaltzmanNovember 3, 2009GFCI, GFI, ground fault, ground fault circuit interrupter, ground fault interrupter Comments

Don't Remove The Panel Cover? Yeah Right!

Several home inspectors in Minnesota say that only a licensed electrician is allowed to remove electric panel covers, and we as home inspectors have no business removing panel covers. Today I'd like to set the record straight.

ElectricalReuben SaltzmanSeptember 15, 2009electric inspections, electrical inspections in minnesota, electrical panel cover, minnesota electrical inspection rules, minnesota electrical inspections, panel cover Comments

The End Of Plastic Outlet Plugs

You know those little plastic plugs that go in outlets to keep kids from sticking stuff in and getting a shock? I can’t stand ‘em. I have good news – they will soon be a thing of the past.

Study Guide: Electrical, ElectricalReuben SaltzmanJune 16, 2009Child Safety, childproof outlets, electrical safety, outlet plugs, plastic outlet plugs, tamper resistant outlets Comments

FPE Stab-Lok Panels Are Hazardous

I used to recommend having FPE Stab-Lok Panels evaluated by an electrician and replaced if neccessary, but now I just skip the whole recommendation thing. I tell my clients to have the panels replaced.

Study Guide: Electrical, ElectricalReuben SaltzmanMay 19, 2009Federal Pacific, FPE, FPE Stab Lok, FPE Stablok Comments

Reversed Polarity Outlets

Reversed polarity is a shock hazard. In this blog I explain what reversed polarity is and why it's hazardous.

Study Guide: Electrical, ElectricalReuben SaltzmanApril 28, 2009electrical hazards, problems with reversed polarity, Reversed Polarity Comments

Ungrounded Three Prong Outlets - How To Fix

Ungrounded three prong outlets create a potential shock hazard, and can allow damage to electronic equipment. Sometimes there's a very easy fix, other times the repair can be quite involved.

Study Guide: Electrical, ElectricalReuben SaltzmanApril 18, 2009three-prong outlets, ungrounded outlets, Ungrounded Three Prong Outlets Comments

Vampire Loads

Vampire Loads refers the electricity used by electronic devices in standy mode. From toasters to computers, I test various items in my house to show how much electricity actually gets wasted.

ElectricalReuben SaltzmanFebruary 4, 2009phantom load, Vampire Loads, vampire power Comments

Converting Two-Prong Outlets

How to convert old two-prong outlets to new three-prong outlets.