You should see some of the “not up to code” work out there they do not pass!
Like this…
http://inspectapedia.com/electric/LowVoltageGERelayBox020DFs.jpg
Or this…
http://staticassets-hrd.appspot.com/i1xevrbkp/693x428_crop.jpg
Anyway the insurance company wants to see electrical work inspected before they will insure the house. They DON’T want to insure a house with improper wiring!
The insurance company insisted that I have a 100 Ampere load center. The state electrician who did it was an artist. Wire going to circuit breakers looked like he had bent them in 90 [sub]0[/sub] with pliers. 
However, the gas company is happy to come and inspect things if I just ask them. No $75 fee.
It benefits me and the insurance company. If they decline to pay based on the condition of the wiring, I can point out that they had it inspected.
I have a Masters Degree in Instrumentation and Electronics, but I can not figure out why two dpdt switches constitutes a “three way switch”.
It’s a XOR gate. If you consider 01 and 10 the same, then it has three states.
???
No the DPDT switch can’t give you get 01 and 10
Its not two DPST’s, which can give you 01 and 10…
DPDT is giving you 11 ,22 or OO (O for OFF, since its not a pole…)
A three way switch is really a THREE POLE…
(whether or not it has “off”)
A switch for power usually has an off, a “three way switch” is usually for signals ( sound, video, etc), which have no “off”…
A DPDT switch can be wired up as a three way switch.
Switches come in a number of configurations. Four common ones are
single pole single throw (SPST)
single pole double throw (SPDT)
double pole single throw (DPST)
double pole double throw (DPDT)
Here is a schematic (not a wiring diagram) of a “three-way switch.” As you can see, it consists of two SPDT switches wired together. It is very easy to understand how it works by visualizing what happens when each switch is thrown.
I think part of the confusion is that the term “three-way switch” can be applied to each SPDT switch or both SPDT switches when they’re wired together.
Instead of using two SPDT switches, you can use two DPDT switches as mentioned by Snnipe 70E, and simply not use one of the poles in each switch.
Well, sure. No matter who’s doing the work, pro or amateur, they still need to buy the supplies somewhere.
In most places that I am familiar with, even if an electrician and/or inspector is required, you can still generally replace like with like. In other words, if you have an old house with 2 prong outlets and one breaks, you can go down to Lowes or Home Depot or some hardware store or whatever and you can replace it with another 2 prong outlet. This is why those stores are allowed to sell parts in areas where an electrician is required.
What you can’t do is change it from a 2 prong to a 3 prong outlet yourself. You can replace, but any change requires an electrician or inspection or whatever is required locally. Similarly, if your light switch fails you can replace it, but you can’t install a dimmer switch yourself as that is a change and would require an electrician.
ETA: I note that our OP hasn’t come back. I hope he didn’t electrocute himself.
That makes sense. I believe the inspection should be free or deductible from your homeowners.
One of my tenants replace two prong with three prong without telling me. The present tenant remarked that he wanted to, and told him not to tell me.
You can’t just put the “Not grounded” sticker on it?
