The electrical system is one of the biggest portions of a home inspection. An electrical system inspection is a thorough examination of your entire electrical system. Think of this system as the nervous system of your home. Imagine the panel as the brain and the circuits are all the limbs.
This inspection helps ensure all electrical wires, systems, and components are working properly and meeting safety guidelines. Electrical defects are common finds during a home inspection. Therefore, it is understandable that clients often have the most concern and questions about the electric portion of the home inspection.
Due to this, we decided to sit down with Larry Stofleth with Completely Wired and dive deeper into his company and share what services he has to offer that help clients feel safe and comfortable in their homes and businesses.
Share the Completely Wired story.
“Completely Wired started in February 2012 for me as a way to take my skill set and build a better life for my family. I always entertained the idea of starting my own business.
I spent time working with contractors and began some electrical work during that time. I was honestly in the right place at the right time and those opportunities lead me down the path to starting Completely Wired.
We began small with myself, and my brother, and business just started to organically grow from there. Today we have about 30 guys working with us.”
What are the most common electrical problems found in a home?
“One of the most common electrical issues is losing power to areas of the home. This could consist of flickering lights, tripping breakers, and GFI’S not resetting. When these issues happen, it can wreak havoc on your home.
Many people forget how important the electrical system is to the function of their home until they lose power. Then, most daily tasks become impossible to complete. That’s when they call us.”
What electrical issues will cost homeowners the most to fix?
“Probably repairing the service or panel but those are easy to price if we know exactly what’s wrong. The hardest thing and what could potentially cost the most is when someone wants us to come because a breaker only trips intermittently or systems are not functioning properly.
The troubleshooting aspect of that can be difficult if it’s not doing it while we are there. Sometimes it could be found in 30 minutes and other times it could take hours.”
What issues can seem scary, but can be fixed easily and at minimal cost?
“A receptacle that is sizzling, smoking, or even melted can present itself as a huge problem. Anytime any of those things happen to any electrical device, it can be scary.
However, it’s usually isolated to just that device and it could be as simple as replacing it. It could be that they are not making good connections electrically and that causes them to heat up. Keep in mind these are parts can wear out just like anything else.”
What should homeowners do to properly maintain their house’s electrical system?
“There are several things homeowners can do to maintain their electrical systems. First, don’t use circuit breakers as switches. This will cause damage over time. Also, replace devices as they wear out. Pushing them beyond their life expectancy will also cause issues.
Replace your dated lighting with LED. They are much more cost-effective in the long term. Remember to keep an eye on outdoor electrical devices and covers as they are more prone to need maintenance more often. “
What types of services does your business provide?
“We have several services that include residential, commercial, and industrial service work, including new construction. We do data work, fire alarm installation, cameras, generators, and solar.
For residential properties, we offer new home wiring, remodeling, historic home wiring, outdoor landscaping, and control maintenance and installation.
For commercial, we have remodeling, service upgrades, lighting, preventative maintenance, low voltage wiring, solar power, and generator installation.
For the industrial components, we offer three-phase installation and troubleshooting, transformers, electrical motors, and large equipment.
For our data work, we cover the data and networking wiring, fiber optics, testing, terminating, and troubleshooting.”
What sets Completely Wired apart from other electrical companies?
“The biggest thing I hear that sets us apart from other companies is that we are dependable. Clients are so grateful for the simple fact that we actually showed up.
What I think sets us apart is we really try to be fair. I will always tell clients what the most economical option is, and I don’t try to push unnecessary services or products. We are not always the cheapest, but we give realistic bids, show up when we say, and do the job right.”
An electrical system is the nervous system of your home, and it is vital in terms of running an efficient house. If systems are not functioning properly, several issues can follow. Faulty switches, improperly wired outlets, inadequately wired sub-panels, unsafe electrical connections in the attic, or crawl space are just a few problems RHI could find during an inspection due to incorrect electric work.
If these issues are found, it is important to work with a reputable company like Completely Wired with licensed electricians. Both RHI Inspections and Completely Wired do not want to see clients with limited knowledge take on projects and hurt themselves or damage their homes. We understand the importance of properly functioning electrical systems and offer clients a variety of services to meet all their needs.