(a)Service entrance and panels.
(1)The inspector shall report as Deficient:
(A)a drop, weatherhead or mast that is not securely
fastened to the building;
(B)the absence of or deficiencies in the grounding
electrode system;
(C)missing or damaged dead fronts or covers plates;
(D)conductors not protected from the edges of electrical
cabinets, gutters, or cutout boxes;
(E)electrical cabinets and panel boards not appropriate
for their location; such as a clothes closet, bathrooms or where they
are exposed to physical damage;
(F)electrical cabinets and panel boards that are not
accessible or do not have a minimum of 36-inches of clearance in front
of them;
(G)deficiencies in:
(i)electrical cabinets, gutters, cutout boxes, and
panel boards;
(ii)the insulation of the service entrance conductors,
drip loop, separation of conductors at weatherheads, and clearances;
(iii)the compatibility of overcurrent devices and
conductors;
(iv)the overcurrent device and circuit for labeled
and listed 240 volt appliances;
(v)bonding and grounding;
(vi)conductors;
(vii)the operation of installed ground-fault or arc-fault
circuit interrupter devices; and
(H)the absence of:
(i)trip ties on 240 volt overcurrent devices or multi-wire
branch circuit;
(ii)appropriate connections;
(iii)anti-oxidants on aluminum conductor terminations;
(iv)a main disconnecting means.
(2)The inspector is not required to:
(A)determine present or future sufficiency of service
capacity amperage, voltage, or the capacity of the electrical system;
(B)test arc-fault circuit interrupter devices when
the property is occupied or damage to personal property may result,
in the inspector's reasonable judgment;
(C)conduct voltage drop calculations;
(D)determine the accuracy of overcurrent device labeling;
(E)remove covers where hazardous as judged by the
inspector;
(F)verify the effectiveness of overcurrent devices;
or
(G)operate overcurrent devices.
(b)Branch circuits, connected devices, and fixtures.
(1)The inspector shall:
(A)manually test the installed and accessible smoke
and carbon monoxide alarms;
(B)report the type of branch circuit conductors;
(C)report as Deficient:
(i)the absence of ground-fault circuit interrupter
protection in all:
(I)bathroom receptacles;
(II)garage receptacles;
(III)outdoor receptacles;
(IV)crawl space receptacles;
(V)unfinished basement receptacles;
(VI)kitchen countertop receptacles; and
(VII)receptacles that are located within six feet
of the outside edge of a sink;
(ii)the failure of operation of ground-fault circuit
interrupter protection devices;
(iii)missing or damaged receptacle, switch or junction
box covers;
(iv)the absence of:
(I)equipment disconnects;
(II)appropriate connections, such as copper/aluminum
approved devices, if branch circuit aluminum conductors are discovered
in the main or sub-panel based on a random sampling of accessible
receptacles and switches;
(v)deficiencies in:
(I)receptacles;
(II)switches;
(III)bonding or grounding;
(IV)wiring, wiring terminations, junction boxes, devices,
and fixtures, including improper location;
(V)doorbell and chime components;
(VI)smoke and carbon monoxide alarms;
(vi)improper use of extension cords;
(vii)deficiencies in or absences of conduit, where
applicable; and
(vii)the absence of smoke alarms:
(I)in each sleeping room;
(II)outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate
vicinity of the sleeping rooms; and
(III)in the living space of each story of the dwelling.
(2) The inspector is not required to:
(A)inspect low voltage wiring;
(B)disassemble mechanical appliances;
(C)verify the effectiveness of smoke alarms;
(D)verify interconnectivity of smoke alarms;
(E)activate smoke or carbon monoxide alarms that are
or may be monitored or require the use of codes;
(F)verify that smoke alarms are suitable for the hearing-impaired;
or
(G)remove the covers of junction, fixture, receptacle
or switch boxes unless specifically required by these standards.
The agency certifies that
legal counsel
has reviewed the adoption and found it to be a valid exercise of the
agency's legal authority.
Filed with the Office
of the Secretary of State on August 18, 2016
TRD-201604237 Kristen Worman
Deputy General Counsel
Texas Real Estate Commission
Effective date: September 7, 2016
Proposal publication date: May 20, 2016
For further information, please call: (512) 936-3093
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