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How to Inspect Mobile Homes or Manufactured Housing Electrical Wiring, Electrical Panel, and other Electrical Components for Defects: detailed procedures, defect lists, references to standards. Ver.3.4 - 04/25/07 - Steve Vermilye, New Paltz NY and Daniel Friedman, Poughkeepsie NY, Hudson Valley ASHI Chapter Seminar, Newburgh NY, January 4, 2000, NY Metro ASHI Fall 99 Seminar, Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 2, 1999.

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ELECTRICAL DEFECTS - in Mobile Homes

Common electrical defects in mobile homes are discussed below.

ELECTRICAL SUPPLY - Defects in Mobile Homes

• Electrical meter & disconnect separate from the home, with own grounding electrode; therefore the panel in the home must be wired like a sub panel (isolate ground and neutral in the panel) with a 4-wire conductor that separates ground and neutral. See ELECTRIC METERS & METER BASES
• Factory-installed electrical equipment will have the bonding screws removed (dryer, range). Same must be done with owner-installed equipment..

ELECTRICAL SERVICE - Drop Feeders for Mobile Homes

• Traditional: cord and plug method to main switch;
• Service equipment must be in sight of and no more than 30 ft from the exterior wall of the home it serves;
• Cord and plug limited to 50A, sometimes 40A
• Permanent feeders: SEC adjacent to home or mounted in the home provided manufacturer installed; may enter underground via conduit; If overhead, look for 4 color coded conductors ; (Hot, Hot, Neutral, Ground);
• Masthead must give 8ft vertical clearance from all points of all roofs over which conductors pass, 2 exceptions:
• 3ft ok if roof is 4 in 12 or more
• 18" ok if no more than 4' of service drop conductors pass over the roof overhang and if terminate in a through-roof raceway
• See ELECTRIC METERS & METER BASES

ELECTRICAL GROUNDING - for Mobile Homes

• Neutral bond separated from Ground in panels wired as subs
• Often no metal water pipe entering the unit to serve as ground
• Metal shell & Frame & Panel MUST be grounded (electrocutions & fires common from this defect)
• See GROUND SYSTEM INSPECTION

COMMON DEFECTS in Mobile Home Electrical Wiring

• improper connection to site, service entry, support, clearance over roofs
• aluminum wiring - see ALUMINUM WIRING HAZARDS
• lots of do-it-yourself wiring, exposed splices, bad or no GFCI, lamp cord wiring
• due to limited storage space access to panel often blocked
• abandoned fixtures or boxes left open to weather
• GFCI missing at baths, kitchens, outside, or mis-wired;
• Loose, falling fittings and lights and fixtures inside and out;

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DEFINITIONS of Mobile Home, Doublewide, Modular, Panelized Construction
MOBILE HOMES, DOUBLEWIDES, TRAILERS
INTRODUCTION to MOBILE HOMES
PRIORITIES OF MOBILE HOME INSPECTION
MOBILE HOME LABELS
ROOFING DEFECTS
MOBILE HOME EXTERIOR DEFECTS
MOBILE HOME TRUCTURAL DEFECTS
MOBILE HOME ELECTRICAL DEFECTS
  MOBILE HOME ELECTRICAL SUPPLY
  MOBILE HOME ELECTRICAL SERVICE
  MOBILE HOME ELECTRICAL GROUNDING
  COMMON DEFECTS
MOBILE HOME HEATING
MOBILE HOME COOLING
MOBILE HOME INSULATION
MOBILE HOME PLUMBING
  GENERAL PLUMBING
  MOBILE HOME SUPPLY PIPING
  DRAIN WASTE VENT
  MOBILE HOME FUEL SUPPLY
  MOBILE HOME WATER HEATER DEFECTS
  MOBILE HOME PLUMBING FIXTURE DEFECTS
MOBILE INTERIOR DEFECTS

• Mobile Home Inspections - Daniel Friedman & Steven T. Vermilye
• Trailer vs Mobile Home vs Modular vs Panelized Construction an explanation of terms and how to identify these structures.
• "Modular Home Construction, special defects and inspection methods" Dan Friedman, NY Metro ASHI Seminar, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 4, 1996
• "Modular Home Construction, special defects and inspection methods" Dan Friedman, NY Metro ASHI Seminar, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 4, 1996
• MOBILE HOME INSPECTIONS
• Trailer vs Mobile Home vs Modular vs Panelized Construction an explanation of terms and how to identify these structures.
• Trailer vs Mobile Home vs Modular vs Panelized Construction an explanation of terms and how to identify these structures.
• "Modular Home Construction, special defects and inspection methods" Dan Friedman, NY Metro ASHI Seminar, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, White Plains NY, October 4, 1996
• New York State: "Manufactured Homes: an installation guide for the code enforcement official," undated. [Div. of Code Enforcement & Admin. - 518-474-4073, George E. Clark, Jr., Director] - this is a guide tool, not an enforcement code or standard.
• HUD State Administrative Agency (for 36 states) (NY: 518-474-4073) - for complaints
• Manufactured Housing Institute, 2101 Wilson Blvd. Ste. 610, Arlington VA 22201 703-558-0400 www.mfghome.org
• NYMHA, 35 Commerce Ave., Albany NY 12206-2015 518-435-9859 800-721-HOME (they want the Star Program to provide for separate assessment of manufactured homes)
• Consumer Reports: www.consumerreports.org - special report 2/98
• Mobile Home Inspection Checklist, Florida, Town of Lady Lake Building Department

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