Home Inspector Test Home Inspector Electrical System Safety Hazards 4

Question 1

What is the purpose of an Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) breaker, and where does NEC require them?

Accepted Answer

They detect arc-fault signatures and disconnect power, required in bedrooms and most living spaces

Answer

AFCI breakers detect the electrical signature of dangerous arcing and trip before a fire starts; NEC requires them in bedrooms and increasingly throughout living areas.

Question 2

An inspector finds a sub-panel in a detached garage with the neutral and ground buses bonded together. What is the issue?

Accepted Answer

Bonding neutral and ground in a sub-panel creates a parallel neutral path and shock hazard on metal enclosures

Answer

In a sub-panel, neutral and ground must remain separate; bonding them creates a return current path on grounding conductors and metal enclosures, causing shock risk.

Question 3

What does it indicate when a home inspector finds the panel's main breaker is rated higher than the service entrance wire ampacity?

Accepted Answer

The service entrance wire can overheat and fail before the breaker trips, creating a fire hazard

Answer

The main breaker must be sized to protect the service entrance conductors; an oversized breaker allows the wire to overheat without tripping.

Question 4

An inspector observes flexible armored cable (BX/AC) entering a panel without a proper connector. What is the hazard?

Accepted Answer

The sharp metal armor edge can cut into wire insulation, causing a short or fire

Answer

Without an anti-short bushing and proper connector, the cut metal armor edge can abrade wire insulation over time, creating a fault or fire.

Question 5

A home built in 1965 has ungrounded two-prong outlets throughout. A seller has replaced some with three-prong outlets without rewiring. What should the inspector note?

Accepted Answer

The added third prong is a false ground unless the circuit was rewired or a GFCI outlet was installed and labeled 'No Equipment Ground'

Answer

Installing a three-prong outlet on an ungrounded circuit creates a false sense of safety unless GFCI protection is added and the outlet labeled as having no equipment ground.

Home Inspector Test Practice Test

Home Inspector Test Practice Test

Home Inspector Test Home Inspector Electrical System Safety Hazards 4