What is hiding in my electrical panel?

I first noticed that there was an open knock-out hole in the electrical panel.?I removed the cover from the panel and discovered straw and chewed up newspaper in the bottom of the panel - mouse nest! Fortunately, I didn’t find a live mouse – or a dead mouse for that matter.?But a mouse living in an electrical panel could have easily put one foot on a hot wire, another foot on the metal box, and instantaneously become a fire starter for the straw and newspaper.

As a home inspector, some of the most interesting hazards I’ve seen have been inside electrical panels. It seems that a lot of homeowners make electrical modifications themselves without understanding the basic rules of how to do so.

I’ve seen two or even three electrical wires attached to the same circuit breaker - as shown in the picture - when the screw holding the wire is designed to hold only one wire. One wire can become a bit loose.?In the best case the lights will flicker. The wire may also heat up and start a fire.

I’ve seen a #14 AWG wire attached to a 20-amp breaker.?That 14-gauge wire can heat up and cause a fire.

I’ve seen a 30-amp breaker in the main panel used for an air conditioner compressor that is rated for a maximum of 25 amps.?In the right circumstances, this can damage the compressor. (Some air conditioner compressors have a separate fuse block or circuit breaker next to the compressor which is correctly rated for the compressor. In this case it is fine for the circuit breaker in the main panel to have a higher rating.)

Other things I check for in an electrical panel include proper grounding, aluminum wiring, and older equipment brands that are known to be dangerous.

A home inspection can protect not only home buyers, but homeowners who want to ensure the safety of the home they have owned for years.