There are a wide variety of electrical systems with an even greater variety of components, and any one particular system may not conform to current standards or provide the same degree of service and safety. What is most significant about electrical systems however is that the national electrical code [NEC] is not retroactive, and therefore many residential systems do not comply with the latest safety standards. Regardless, we are not electri- cians and in compliance with our standards of practice we only test a representative number of switches and outlets and do not perform load-calculations to determine if the supply meets the demand.

However, in the interests of safety, we regard every electrical deficiency and recom- mended upgrade as a latent hazard that should be serviced as soon as possible, and that the entire system be evaluated and certified as safe by an electrician. Therefore, it is essential that any recommendations that we may make for service or upgrades should be completed before the close of escrow, because an electrician could reveal additional deficiencies or recommend some upgrades for which we would disclaim any further responsibility. However, we typically recommend upgrading outlets to have ground fault protection, which is a relatively inexpensive but essential safety feature. These outlets are often referred to as GFCI's, or ground fault circuit interrupters and, generally speaking, have been required in specific locations for more than thirty years. 

Similarly, AFCI's or arc fault circuit interrupters, represent the very latest in circuit breaker technology, and have been required in all bedroom circuits since 2002. However, inasmuch as arc faults cause thousands of electrical fires and hundreds of deaths each year, we categorically recommend installing them at every circuit as a prudent safety feature.