More Power, Scottie! But She's Giving You All She's Got, Captain!

In a house recently I saw the so-called "Wonderfully Finished Basement!"

The sellers had bought the house from a Flipper.  They did not get a home inspection.

The listing agent was VERY INTERESTED in the home inspection my clients had asked for.  She wanted to know what was what.  She said, "And I demand photos!"

Well, famous last words.  I can provide enough photos to make her eyes bleed.  And they set her up for all the disclosure issues that follow.  In Virginia, sellers have no responsibility to disclose anything, but agents do!

Just walking into the wonderfully-finished basement  I knew things would be interesting!

The Flipper-indicative dropped ceiling was everywhere.  That necessitates that I move my ladder from place to place to look at what is above the ceiling panels. 

It makes me feel a bit like a prairie dog.  I move panel after panel, and my head pops up here, and pops up there.

What am I looking for?  Anomalies.  Particularly electrical anomalies.

That wonderfully-finished basement  had a "kitchen."  Cook top, microwave, fridge and sink.  The sink drained into the side of the washing machine drain, which is incorrect.  But where did they get the power for the "kitchen," and in particular that cook top?  The prairie dog found it.

These are only two of many overloaded and uncovered electrical junction boxes seen in this basement.

Things were added to what was there previously, like canister lights, the "kitchen," and a bathroom, but all sorts of new wiring was added to existing boxes.  And everywhere!  And I knew why.  The cook top.

Here's how Flipper did it!

He took one of the original circuits, labeled a long time ago in the panel box as "Basement," and simply used the old 20amp wiring to connect a new 60amp breaker!

Apparently someone told him that there new cook top  needed a 60amp circuit breaker.

So he added it!

This is utter silliness and dangerous!

So, when Scottie said, "She's giving you all she's got, Captain!" he meant it!  You can't simply combine stuff together and add a breaker here or there without creating a new circuit and expect the necessary power to magically appear.