Electrical Panel
Safety
All homeowners
should know where their electrical panel is located. When you open the
door to it, you should find breakers that are labeled which correspond to the
different rooms or areas of the home. Breakers will sometimes trip due to
a power surge or outage, and the homeowner can flip the switch to reactivate
the current to the particular room or area. Behind the breakers is the
dead front, and it is this electrical component that should be removed only by
a qualified electrician or inspector.
Before touching the electrical panel to re-set a breaker, ask yourself the following questions:
Before touching the electrical panel to re-set a breaker, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I have an escape path?
Make sure that you know where you can safely turn or step if you
must escape a dangerous surprise, such a bee or a spark. An unfortunately
placed shovel or extension cord, for instance, can turn a quick jerk into
a dangerous fall.
- Is the floor wet? Never
touch any electrical equipment while standing on a wet surface!
- Does the panel appear to be
wet? Check overhead for dripping water that may have condensed on a
cold water pipe.
- Is the panel rusty? Rust
is an indication of previous wet conditions that may still exist.
- Are there scorch marks on the
panel door? This can indicate a past or very recent arc, and further
investigation should be deferred to a licensed electrician.
Here is a list
of defective conditions that a homeowner may see that may be called out during
an electrical inspection:
- insufficient clearance.
According to the 2008
National Electrical Code, most residential electrical panels
require at least a 3-foot clearance or working space in front, 30 inches
of width, and a minimum headroom clearance of 6 feet, or the height
of the equipment, whichever is greater.
- sharp-tipped panel box screws.
Panel box cover screws must have blunt ends so they do not pierce the
wires inside the box.
- circuit breakers that are not
properly sized.
- oxidation or corrosion to any
of the parts. Oxidized or corroded wires will increase the resistance of
conductors and create the potential for arcing.
- damage caused by rodents.
Rodents have been known to chew through wire insulation in electrical
panels (and other areas), creating an unsafe condition. Rodents have been
electrocuted this way, leaving an unsightly mess inside the panel.
- evidence of electrical
failures, such as burned or overheated components.
- evidence of water entry inside
the electrical panel. Moisture can corrode circuit breakers so that they
won't trip, make connections less reliable and the equipment unsafe to
touch.
- a panel manufactured by Zinsco
or Federal Pacific Electric (FPE). These panels have a reputation for
being problematic, and further evaluation by a qualified electrician is
recommended.
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