Electrical Home Safety Inspection

We keep your home safe and functioning optimally with a comprehensive electrical inspection from Berkeys Electrical Service in Dallas Fort Worth. Our licensed electricians meticulously examine your entire electrical system, identifying potential hazards and recommending energy-saving solutions. From loose connections to outdated wiring, we ensure your home's electrical system is up to code and functioning flawlessly.

• We inspect the Entire Electrical System: We look for any safety hazards and potential energy-saving suggestions.
• The Main Panel/Load Center: These should be inspected annually to ensure the wire connections on the breaker are properly torqued (tightened) and the breakers are properly connected to the buss bars. The screws connecting the wire to the breakers can become loose over time. We also use an infrared scanner/thermometer to identify any hot spots on the breakers and connections.
• GFCI Protection: This should be installed in the kitchen, bathrooms, and on all outdoor outlets. A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter is designed to trip with only a very small amount of impedance detected from a hot circuit to ground. In the unfortunate example of a person getting shocked, the circuit is designed to trip instantly before a person sustains a shock or electrocution. They should be tested monthly and inspected annually by a qualified electrician.
• Arc Fault Protection: This should be installed for outlets in all bedrooms and living areas. Since the 2008 NEC came out, these life-saving devices have been a requirement in new construction. For many years there have been house fires caused by appliances such as televisions, alarm clocks, and lamps that have had their plugs pulled slightly loose causing arcing. When drapery is near the arcing it can catch fire and quickly spread. The Arc Fault protection is designed to trip instantly when even the slightest arcing is detected. Thus saving countless lives. The licensed electricians at Berkeys, carry high-tech testing equipment to thoroughly test these devices. They should be tested monthly and inspected annually by a qualified electrician.
• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Smoke Detectors and CO Detectors should also be tested monthly and inspected annually by a qualified electrician. The 9-volt batteries in either stand-alone detectors or backup batteries for hard-wired systems should be changed annually. Berkeys' electrician will use canned smoke and a carbon monoxide testing agent to thoroughly test these annually. Did you know that even if your home is totally electric, if you have an attached garage, you need carbon monoxide detectors? The reason is, with an attached garage, if a vehicle is left idling even for a short time. Carbon monoxide can build up in the garage and then infiltrate your home with potentially fatal consequences.
• Checking for Back Stabbed Connections: These are installed on the electrical switches and receptacles in your home. Back stabbing is still being done today, even in many new homes by incompetent electricians who take a “shortcut to save time” when installing switches and receptacles. Many electrical switch and receptacle devices have connections that can be used to insert the wires into the back of the device, instead of the proper way of curling the wire around the screws that are on the sides and properly tightening them. It has been proven that the spring mechanism in the back of these devices is too weak and can lead to overheating and cause a fire.
• Existing Incandescent and Fluorescent: This kind of lighting can now be retrofitted with LED fixtures using 85% less energy. The new LED technology means also extending the life of the bulbs. LED bulbs last up to 25,000 hours, equaling 25 incandescent bulbs. Your ROI (return on investment) by installing LED now is often break even in less than 2 years and pure savings thereafter. Saving $200 to $400 or more annually on electricity usage.
• Whole House Surge and Lightning Protection: This should be added to protect your valuable electronic equipment and appliances. Berkeys offers 3 levels of protection from the manufacturer. The different levels have varying levels of surge and lightning protection capabilities with either $25,000, $50,000, or $75,000 of protection from the manufacturer.
• Tamper Resistant Outlets: These are required now in new construction and remodeling electrical systems. If you have small children or grandchildren, the peace of mind that knowing the electrical outlets in your home are safe with children not being able to insert metal objects into an outlet is very comforting.
• Automatic Standby Generators: Can be installed for your home electrical system. You and your family can be safe and comfortable in the event of a winter ice storm or spring or summer thunderstorms that cause many power outages every year, sometimes lasting hours and even days.
• Checking for Proper Grounding of Your Electrical System: If your ground rod is not conducting well to the Earth, you can experience problems with your electrical system, e.g. lights dimming or even an electrocution hazard condition. Berkeys can check the ground rod connection to the Earth and determine if it has less than the required 25 Ohm resistance. Extreme drought can affect this and could require installing an additional 8’ ground rod more than 6’ from the existing ground rod.
• Checking for Proper Grounding / Bonding of Yellow CSST (Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing) Gas Piping in the Attic of Your Home: If you have this type of gas piping in your home that was not properly grounded/bonded. There is a danger that in the event of a lightning strike, a hole can occur by melting the stainless steel tubing and become a blow torch that could burn your home to the ground or even cause an explosion. Berkeys can properly ground/bond the gas piping under the 2011 NEC (National Electric Code) and 2012 IFGC (International Fuel Gas Code).