True or False: A home inspector should test all automatic safety controls.

A home inspector typically does not test all automatic safety controls because these controls can be complex, and testing them might require specific skills, knowledge, or tools that go beyond the scope of a standard home inspection. The purpose of a home inspection is to identify visible and accessible issues without disrupting the systems or putting the inspector or the home at risk.

While certain safety controls may be visually assessed for wear or damage, extensive testing—especially operational testing—can pose safety risks or inadvertently cause equipment malfunctions. Because of this, the standard practice is to not engage deeply with these automatic safety systems during an inspection unless they are easily accessible and their operation is straightforward and safe to observe. Therefore, the assertion in the question that a home inspector should test all automatic safety controls is false.