220 Volt Electrical Inspection

What does your Myrtle Beach Home Inspector look for?

Verifying Correct Amperage Ratings on All Major Appliances

Every major appliance is designed to operate with a certain amount of current or flow of electricity. If the amount of current is too high, the appliance will draw too much power which it is not designed for and it will shorten its life span. If the amount of current is too low, then the appliance will work harder trying to draw the correct amount of power thus shortening its lifespan. That’s why it is critically important that the Myrtle Beach Home Inspector verifies that all breakers in the electrical panel coincide with the correct amperage or wattage rating found on your appliances.

Other Major Appliances to Look For

These are just a few examples of other 220V appliances found around the home and their corresponding amperage rating:

Verifying Wire Sizing for All Major Appliances

Understanding wire types and sizes is important because it is the determining factor in how much current travels to any particular appliance. Undersized wires can overheat, and oversized wires will not deliver the appropriate current to operate the appliance efficiently.

Common Issues Found with Major Appliances

The examples below are the most common issues found with major appliances during the Myrtle Beach Home Inspection. Water heaters fail occasionally if the thermostat is set at higher than normal temperatures, if there is excessive condensation inside the thermostat chamber, or a breach at the element location. Exposed wiring at any appliance is a major concern and will always be written up as a safety issue. Ranges can have a lifespan of several decades if used properly with routine cleaning, however it is not uncommon to find elements not working both at the stove and inside the oven. The two devices found in Picture 5 are critically important for safe function of the air handling unit, otherwise known as the evaporator coil – if these devices are not installed then it will be included in the home inspection report as a major concern.

 

Common Issues Found with Fixed Small Appliances

While the following appliances do not run on 220V power, I thought I would include them seeing as the primary focus of this article is appliances. Your Myrtle Beach Home Inspector is going to check all of the below items to ensure all small appliances are operating as normal.

These are just a few of the concerns that will be discovered during the home inspection, if the Inspector finds a problem or inconsistency with the testing or inspection results, they will investigate further to ensure that there are no underlying problems. These are also great examples of what to look for when you are performing your own home assessment.

 

Me and my team at LAB Home Inspections hope you really enjoyed this article!

 

If you have specific questions about your home, or would like to schedule a home inspection, please contact Darren directly:

Darren Dawson, Certified Master Inspector (CMI)®

Myrtle Beach, SC

(352) 665- 9900