Crash Course Electrical Systems with Top Realtor Kimmy Rolph gives you a basic overview for buying and selling real estate, of an electric system. When you view a home, how do you know what you’re looking at when it comes to the electrical system? Do you know the differences and what each implies? I am not an electrician, but I make it my business as a leading Main Line buyers agent and sellers agent to know my way around a circuit breaker panel, and so should you if you are considering buying selling or investing in real estate. Here is my crash course!
Electricity in modern homes is provided via a circuit breaker panel. Typical service comes into the home at 240V from the street and is then split by an electrician into 110V and 220V loops… 110V for your standard stuff – lighting, coffee pot, tv, etc. and 220V for more heavy duty stuff – ovens, air conditioning, and dryers.
The current throughout the home is typically rated between 100A and 200A. You can usually tell which by the main shutoff breaker. Think of Amps like water flowing through a pipe. The higher the number, the more equipment can be powered.
Older homes may be served by fuse panels or knob-and-tube wiring. These are typically only rated to 60A of current. Both are safe yet pose their own hazards.
Knob-and-tube wiring is ungrounded, meaning any electrical surge can raise the risk of fire, shock, or electrocution.
Both limit the number of available circuits in the home, and with today’s power hungry society, you’ll end up with overloaded circuits.
In a fuse panel, this will result in blown fuses.
For knob-and-tube wiring, you’ll end up with hot, saggy wires… and if those wires are covered by insulation, there’s an increased risk of fire.
Home served by fuse panels or knob-and-tube wiring will cost more to insure and will very likely reduce the number of insurers willing to provide coverage on the home.
I know this was a lot to take in, but do not worry this crash course and many more are available on my seminars on buying and selling, or in my ebook The Inside Info on Selling Your House, all are absolutely free. If you found Crash Course Electrical Systems useful, and reach out for all your real estate needs. Kimmy Rolph sells The Main Line and Local Areas.