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A Wall Oven And A Range Can't Share The Same Circuit, Even On A Flip!

By
Home Inspector with Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC 3380-000723

If I can, I like to look behind and under things, especially on a flipped house!  And what I saw this time surprised even me - a wall oven and a range can't share the same circuit, even on a flip! 

Yes, some Flippers try to get away with stuff.  But when it's dangerous and so very wrong a client needs to know!

It started like this.  I tried the anti-tip on a range.  Then I looked behind.  Which lead me to the wall ovens.  I moved the doors on a high double wall oven.  The top one was so high the buyer was complaining.  As I opened the door the unit came out of the new, and very pretty, cabinet created for it by Flipper!

OK, so we know Flipper might not install stuff right.

And this wasn't right!

Literally I could have pulled it out from the wall.

And, in addition to that, being so high made it especially dangerous.

Too easy to tip!

But I knew it had to have new wiring as it is probably in a new spot in the kitchen.

Looking underneath I saw that it is plugged into a large cord!

I expected that large cord to be plugged into a wall receptacle.

Never seeing a wall oven plugged into a wall receptacle I was even more  intrigued, the radar further extended.

So we investigated further.

And veeeola!

What did my little eye spy behind the range?

That the cord was not plugged in at all!

IT WAS ALL WIRE NUTTED TOGETHER!

The gray wire coming out of the wall is from the circuit breaker panel box ...

... and the black on the left is the wall oven ...

... which is connected to the cable running to the receptacle (merely laying loose on the floor) servicing the kitchen range!

At least they used electrical tape for safety.  At least...

This is the view behind the range that stimulated this little journey!

Welps, ain't it juuust perrrty?

This is the view I looked at that set me off. 

The hip bone is connected to the thigh bone, so I had to look further.

At first I asked if they thought there would be an anti-tip device behind the range (I didn't think so).

And when it dutifully leaned forward I pulled it out so we could see.

Oh, further, that wall receptacle inside the kitchen cabinet has a handmade plug in it. 

After a little experimentation we found that it services the exhaust hood over the range!

Yep, that's how you do that too!

That was just one little gem we found in this house. 

There was no breaker for the wall oven, and an old one for the range, so they simply tapped it for more fun and games.

Cute, cute, cute!  AND DANGEROUS!

My recommendation:  I am thinking of installing the TV show Flipper's theme song on my phone as a ring tone.  It would be appropriate.  And maybe play that over the phone when people call for home inspections of flips.

Buyers have to be EXTREMELY circumspect when purchasing a flip of any type.  It's not because they are all bad, and I have gone to great lengths to blog about the good ones.  It's just that people are buying everything the Flipper has done.  As I always say, if what you CAN see is frightening, what you CAN'T see has to follow.  Because the hip bone IS connected to the thigh bone.

 

 

Posted by

Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC  

Based in Bristow, serving all of Northern Virginia.

Office (703) 330-6388   Cell (703) 585-7560

www.jaymarinspect.com


Comments(50)

Lloyd Binen
Certified Realty Services - Saratoga, CA
Silicon Valley Realtor since 1976; 408-373-4411

Jay, I try to avoid selling flips for this reason.  If a buyer likes one I remind the buyer that every improvement was made with a quick profit motive in mind, using the cheapest materials and labor.  Yes, I know that's not always true, but they understand I exaggerate. 

Mar 24, 2013 08:29 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

It might be true Lloyd.  But my fear is what I can't see, especially after what I can see is so frightening.

Mar 24, 2013 08:43 AM
Cindy Jones
Integrity Real Estate Group - Woodbridge, VA
Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News

I've wondered when you see this can you report them to the county for a code violation?  It seems to me there has to be a way to keep these flippers from killing someone with their bad wiring.

Mar 24, 2013 09:23 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I have not had much success with that Cindy.  And this house is in Front Royal.  They might not even have enough inspectors to be able to check into this!

Mar 24, 2013 09:31 AM
Steven Cook
No Longer Processing Mortgages. - Tacoma, WA

Jay -- it is too bad there isn't some way an inspector's findings of this nature can't be added to the disclosure notices the seller has to provide - or better yet (but not practical) into the NMLS comments section.

Methinks you like flippers too much, you have so much fun around them.

Mar 24, 2013 11:48 AM
Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

If buyers are intersted in a flip, I always recommend they use an inspector like yourself.  It is unfortunate that a few folks will put other's safety at risk to make more profit. 

Mar 24, 2013 12:12 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I'm thinking of making my phone ring tone the "Flipper" theme song Steven!

And safety is a great thing here Joan.  It is crucial to have inspections of this junk work!

Mar 24, 2013 01:13 PM
Wika Hutchinson
Eugene, OR
Broker, CRIS, SFR, CDPE

Jay, this is why home buyers need to hire a great, knowledgeable inspector like you!

Mar 24, 2013 04:59 PM
James Dray
Fathom Realty - Bentonville, AR

Morning Jay after reading some of the comments and of course your post there isn't much to add except to say "Have a great day".

Mar 24, 2013 08:12 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Thanks Wika.  This one wasn't too hard to find though!

James - thanks.  It's snowing!  I'm dreaming of a white Easter.

Mar 24, 2013 09:12 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

I didn't know this... of course, I'm not an electrician or an inspector. But thanks for educating me... I now know what to watch out for and how to respond if this shows up on a property I sell in the future.

Mar 24, 2013 09:50 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

All junctions should be inside of boxes Nina, but two high-amp appliances cannot share one circuit.

Mar 24, 2013 10:11 PM
Clint Mckie
Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections - Carlsbad, NM
Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586

Hi Jay,

I just had a twenty minute conversation with the Realtor and seller. I had to explain to them about how the range was not installed correctly when it was wired into the wall. They had told me the installer was the local appliance shop.

They told her "I was not supposed to pull the range from the wall. It is a built in range and it is supposed to stay put"

I told her it doe'snt matter. I pulled it and you simply cannot just wire nut the electrical connection into the box in the wall without a conduit or plug assembly along without a cover for the box.

They said they were going to call the local installer and have them fix the issue.

My question is this....Should we pull the so called "Built in appliance" and see if it was installed the right way? Or simply bypass the unit and call it good if it works properly at time of inspection?

Here is a shot of the built in range as I took it.

In correct wiring on range.

Notice the common on the ground wire. Oh boy.

Have a great day in Bristow my friend.

Best, Clint mcKie

Mar 25, 2013 12:44 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

That's cute as can be Clint!  He's a genius!  Lots of new invention there!

Fortunately he used duct tape.

Mar 25, 2013 12:50 AM
Clint Mckie
Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections - Carlsbad, NM
Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586

Hi Jay,

So the question still remains. Do we pull the existing built in appliances?

Have a good day.

Best, Clint McKie

Mar 25, 2013 01:42 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

Well, Clint, I say in the post that if I can move it I will.  As to this wall oven in the post, it moved simply when I opened the door!

Mar 25, 2013 02:35 AM
Clint Mckie
Desert Sun Home, commercial Inspections - Carlsbad, NM
Desert Sun Home, Comm. Inspection 1-575-706-5586

Hi Jay,

If the unit is not screwed in place and just "sitting there" like a range thats a slide in surface mount type.

Then I want to pull the unit and see the way the unit is installed. Many are not installed the right way this is caused by the electrician knowing the inspector is not going to remove the range and check the connection behind it.

Have a wonderful day in Bristow my friend.

Best, Clint McKie

Mar 25, 2013 09:12 PM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

I am not sure why the installer would say a home inspector won't move it Clint!  I move every one that I can.  I expect you do too.  These guys are dopes.

Mar 25, 2013 09:34 PM
Donald Hester
NCW Home Inspections, LLC - Wenatchee, WA
NCW Home Inspections, LLC

Jay, Sweetness there. Got to love when people do this type of work. Just special is all I can say.

Mar 26, 2013 12:08 AM
Jay Markanich
Jay Markanich Real Estate Inspections, LLC - Bristow, VA
Home Inspector - servicing all Northern Virginia

That is some creative electrical thinking there Don!

Mar 26, 2013 07:33 AM