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Inspecting Older Properties in the Nashville Real Estate Market - Common Electrical Issues

I really enjoy inspecting older properties in the East Nashville real estate market. There is Nashville real estatesomething to be said about the construction and houses being built to stand the test of time. The downside of these properties can be the electrical system. Older properties often have had multiple owners and some folks just like to dibble and dabble with electricity.

In the panel box, notice the upper and lower breakers. The wiring going to them are the older 14 gauge wires originally designed for 15 amp circuits. The wire in the middle is the newer 14 gauge wires that today's houses use. The difference in size is partly due to the copper shortage, and partly due to the modern breakers being quicker to respond to overload situations. However this does not apply to a 14 gauge wire being landed on a 20 amp breaker which requires a 12 gauge wire.

Many folks who are purchasing properties in the Nashville real estate market often ask what do we inspect. Electrical panels for sure...


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Posted Wednesday Sep 09