Electrical systems in Tacoma homes can be sneaky villains, hiding shocks, sparks, and fire starters behind walls. Home inspectors poke around to catch them before you buy a money pit. Here’s the rundown on what they check, so you can laugh off the scares instead of crying over repair bills.
Service Entrance and Main Panel
Inspectors start at the top: the service drops from the street to your meter. In Tacoma’s rainy mess, they eyeball corroded wires or loose connections that drip like bad faucets. Next, flip the central panel’s cover and pray for no rust or melted buses.
They hunt for double-tapped breakers and undersized services for modern loads, such as EVs. Tacoma’s older craftsman homes often rock 60-amp panels; today’s code wants 200 amps minimum. Aluminum wiring? Red flag from the ’60s, prone to fires without pigtails. No main disconnect? Instant fail.
Breaker Box Blues
Inside the panel, it’s a party of 20+ breakers begging scrutiny. Inspectors test each one, flip it off, then flip it back on. GFCIs in kitchens and baths? Plug in a tester; no buzz means trip it out. AFCIs for bedrooms? They sniff for arc faults that spark silent infernos.
Labels missing? Chaos. Overcrowded boxes with extension cords as “breakers”? Amateur hour. Tacoma’s damp garages breed corroded neutrals, loose ones hum and heat up. Pros measure voltage drops; 3% max, or your lights flicker like a horror flick.
Wiring Woes Everywhere
Knob-and-tube from 1920s Tacoma bungalows? Dry-rotted insulation spells danger; you can’t bury it in walls anymore. Romex gets tugged for nicks or staples that are too tight. UF cable in wet spots? Check for waterlogged sheaths.
Outlets and switches: Reverse polarity flips hot/neutral, shocks waiting. Ungrounded two-prong relics? Boot ’em with GFCIs. Bathrooms need ’em within 6 feet of sinks; Tacoma codes echo NEC strictness. Smoke detectors hardwired? Test the chirp, replace every 10 years.
Grounding and Bonding Tricks
Grounding rods hammered into Tacoma’s soggy soil? Inspectors verify two of ’em, 6 feet apart, tied to the panel. No ground wire in the main? Yikes! Stray currents zap you. Bonding jumpers link gas pipes and plumbing to the ground, preventing side shocks.
Pools or hot tubs? Extra ground for the drama. Tacoma’s seismic shakes loosen bonds; inspectors tug wires for wiggle. Missing equipment grounds on AC units? Buzzkill for efficiency.
Tacoma’s Local Zaps
This Puget Sound spot gets 40+ inches of rain yearly, so damp basements breed moldy panels. Earthquakes? Stray wires snap. Winter winds down lines; inspectors flag tree-hugging droops.
Newer McMansions are overloaded with smart homes, and inspectors calculate loads to avoid future blackouts.
Tired of Shock Jokes?
Don’t buy blind. Sterling Inspection Group‘s pros zap through Tacoma electrics, spotting gremlins before closing. Complete reports, no fluff, so you negotiate fixes like a boss. Hit their site now for a slot and sleep shock-free.
The Sterling Inspection Group Contact Info
Address: 3616 Lanyard Dr NE, Lacey, WA 98516
Phone: (253) 256-3553
Website: sterlinginspections.com
Source: sterlinginspections.com
Header Image Source: Photo by İsmail Efe Top on Unsplash
