How To Look At A House
McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of
site-built, mobile/manufactured and modular homes
Can a bare bulb lampholder light fixture be installed outdoors?
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Most people don’t know that those inexpensive porcelain or plastic light fixtures for a bare bulb are called lampholders. We occasionally see them used as an exterior light fixture, like in the photo above, but there are three reasons why exterior installation is not acceptable or safe:
- Although lampholders are UL-approved, it is only for interior installation. They are not rated for exterior weather exposure.
- Most bulbs that fit the socket of a lampholder are also not rated for exterior use and may explode when wet.
- Some cities and counties have ordinances that do not allow bare bulb exterior light fixtures.
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Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about ELECTRICAL WIRING:
• Which house appliances need a dedicated electrical circuit?
• Can a short circuit cause a high electric bill?
• What is the maximum spacing requirement for securing NM-cable (nonmetallic-sheathed cable)?
• Is it alright to just put wire nuts on the end of unused or abandoned NM-cable or wiring?
• What causes copper wires to turn green or black in an electric panel?
• What are typical aluminum service entrance wire/cable sizes for the electrical service to a house?
• Why is it unsafe to bond neutral and ground wiring at subpanels?
• Should I get a lightning rod system to protect my house?
• Why is a strain relief clamp necessary for the cord connection to some electric appliances?
• Does a wire nut connection need to be wrapped with electrical tape?
• What is the minimum clearance of overhead electric service drop wires above a house roof?
• Why are old electrical components not always "grandfathered" as acceptable by home inspectors?
• What are the most common electrical defects found in a home inspection?
• What is the life expectancy of electrical wiring in a house?
• What is an "open junction box"?
• How dangerous is old electrical wiring?
• I heard that aluminum wiring is bad. How do you check for aluminum wiring?
• What is "knob and tube" wiring?
• What is the code requirement for receptacle outlets in a closet?
Visit our ELECTRICAL page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.
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