Flush Mount Light in Attic

Here's a flush mounted ceiling light as viewed from the attic.

It's hard to tell whether this light was installed after the house was built or during a remodel.

Look around the attic and make sure that the existing electrical wire is the same color as the wire going into the light fixture. In older homes all the electrical wire is usually the same color.

If you see, different colored wire, this should tell you that some of the electrical has been either repaired, upgraded or some new fixtures have been installed.

The yellow wire is usually a 12 gauge wire and normally is not used for lighting. This would be your first clue that this light was installed after the house was originally built.

Notice there is no insulation in the attic.

As a home inspector you need to find out if this light is installed correctly and meets theand if local building codes.

Lights like this could be overloading a electrical circuit, which could lead to problems down the road.