In general, annual residential fires are decreasing because of better electrical codes, smoke alarms, and fire suppression systems.  Thus, homes constructed today do not face quite the same problems as the majority of the 100 million existing homes in the United States, but that doesn’t mean newer construction is fail safe from improper installations or malfunctioning electrical components.

This pictures shows a 20 amp breaker installed on a 15 amp circuit in a 2003 home. This situation was found at not only the main panel but the sub-panel as well.  We as home inspectors wonder how the county building inspector missed this!

This is commonly known as over fusing meaning the wire is too small for the amount of electricity the breaker is allowing to flow through it.

This will cause the wire to heat up to the point where it can melt and may possibly cause a fire.  This is one of the many reasons why it’s good practice to have a certified home inspection performed even on a newer home.

Remember, hire a certified, experienced and insured home inspector .