Notes From The Field
06.18.2007 | ELECTRICAL
BREAKER INSPECTION SHORTCUTS
Do you have problems trying to differentiate between #14 and #12 copper wire when inspecting the wire size for 15 and 20 amp breakers? I found a little trick that you can use, especially on new service panels. For my time saving tip to work, the electrician had to have installed the 20 amp breakers in a row above or below a row of 15 amp breakers. In most newer service panels electricians tend to separate the different breaker sizes and install all the same sized breakers all in one group.
The first thing to consider is that the minimum wire size for a 15 amp breaker is #14 copper wire. Note, that this is the minimum size. Therefore, as a rule of thumb, it is next to impossible for a 15 amp breaker to have undersized wire. We will also assume that the builder was pinching pennies and that all of the 15 amp breakers have #14 copper wire. With this in consideration, look at the wires leaving the 15 amp breakers and scan up or down to the 20 amp breakers. Many times the 15's are on one side and the 20's are on the other. Since they are all in a row, it should be easy to determine if the wire looks slightly larger than those at the 15 amp breakers. If they are, great. Do a quick scan and make sure all the 20's have the same thickness wire.
Click for bigger image. Note all of the 15 amp breakers on the left hand side.
There you go, it is that easy. On newer service panels with the breakers all grouped together, I find I can scan the 15's and 20's in just a few seconds and save lots of time. Tips like these and can be found in our electrical course, The Basic Electrical Inspection. The course provides an inspectors outline for performing a normal electrical inspection during a typical home inspection. The Basic Electrical Inspection course is approved by ASHI, CREIA, NACHI, NAHI, and most states. i-Course specializes in home inspector education. We offer home inspection continuing education courses online.