panelboard overloaded

[ivsenroute]

So I get a phonecall from a previous private inspection client who had some work done at her house. It is a vacation home that they visit on weekends.

She is calling me because the guy who came out there said he has to replace her electrical panel and since I inspected it, she needs to know what I missed.

I reviewed my inspection and saw that it is a 30space QO panel with 1 twin breaker in it. I wrote up a few minor defects for the electrical system including a few in the main panel.

I asked why he said it needs to be replaced and she said he told me "It is only a 200A panel and I you are already using between 300-400A"

I immediately knew this guy was adding up all of the breakers for a grand total but I continued to play it cool and get more information.

I asked what his plan was for replacing the service. She said was not going to do any outside work, just replace the panel......... DUH!

So I asked if he measured all of the electric baseboard heat, got the square footage of the house and wrote down the information for all of the appliances like the range, dryer, HW heater etc. and of course she said no.

I just said to her: "So I am assuming this guy is a handyman and not an electrician" She said yes, and wondered how I knew.

I asked for his name and number but she declined.

 

[Greg Swartz]

..."It is only a 200A panel and I you are already using between 300-400A..." ...

Sweet! And he was gonna just replace the panel too...
What a nice guy! :roll:

Good pickup on the handyman issue!

 

[ZZZ]

He shoulda recommended an 800 amp for future expansion.

 

[SEO]

It's always interesting when a handyman makes electrical inspections and recomends repairs that he will make.

 

[jim dungar]

It's always interesting when a handyman makes electrical inspections and recomends repairs that he will make.

What is even more interesting is how the HO trusts what the handyman says more than what the professional does.

 

[480sparky]

What is even more interesting is how the HO trusts what the handyman says more than what the professional does.

'Zactly! We spend years learning the trade, taking a half-dozen tests to prove our abilities, and someone with a bought-n-paid for certificate from FlyByNight Inspections seems to know more than we do.

 

[Chenley]

I figure we will be seeing a lot more of this crap, due to the economy and large plants laying of maintenance people. We wired a house for a maintenance electrician that works for a large company here and I would not trust him to install a receptacle, although I would trust him to change out a 40HP motor. :roll:

 

[charlie b]

I asked for his name and number but she declined.

OK, Paul Harvey, can you now give us "the rest of the story"? Did you talk her out of paying for something she does not need? If she prefers to believe a handyman over a professional, feel free to send her a link to this thread, so that she can see the opinions of several professionals.

 

[ivsenroute]

OK, Paul Harvey, can you now give us "the rest of the story"? Did you talk her out of paying for something she does not need? If she prefers to believe a handyman over a professional, feel free to send her a link to this thread, so that she can see the opinions of several professionals.

She told me that she will not allow him to touch her electrical panel. I offered (for a fee) to come out and do a load calculation for her entire house if it makes her feel any better. The initial inspection did not include a whole house calculation as it is beyond the scope of my inspection purpose.

Still waiting to hear back.

 

[480sparky]

.....Still waiting to hear back.

Don't hold your breath.

 

[bradleyelectric]

The initial inspection did not include a whole house calculation as it is beyond the scope of my inspection purpose.

So a house with an undersized service would pass inspection?

 

[ivsenroute]

So a house with an undersized service would pass inspection?

Not necessarily. The purpose of my inspection was a private inspection for a real estate transaction and following the standards of practice for private inspections as designated by the state I work in. Calculations are not part of a private inspection.

In this case we are talking about a 980 sq foot chalet style vacation home.

There are instances where there appears to be a problem with sizing and the client is referred to a qualified electrician for review to make that determination. This has happened in the past such as a larger home with a 100A service that was converted to electric baseboard heat and all electric appliances because natural gas was not available and they no longer wanted propane. Add this to the AC that they added and there is a problem.

I do both private and code enforcement inspections. They both have different insurance policies and are separate companies and they are not interelated

 

[ivsenroute]

In addition, there is no such thing as pass or fail with a private inspection. It is a list of defects that are recommended to be repaired. Pass or fail is only for code enforcement and radon & water testing.

 

[satcom]

If the owner added something to change the loads where they went beyond the loadcenter ability to service the new loads, then it should be on the private report as a deficit, and fail the code inspection.

 

[bradleyelectric]

K, I didn't understand this was a "Real Estate" inspection as opposed to an "electrical inspection" My terms to differentiate.

 

[growler]

a 100A service that was converted to electric baseboard heat and all electric appliances because natural gas was not available and they no longer wanted propane. Add this to the AC that they added and there is a problem.

If they are dumb enough to run the AC and the baseboard heaters at the same time they have more of a problem than just electrical.:-?:-?

 

[ivsenroute]

If they are dumb enough to run the AC and the baseboard heaters at the same time they have more of a problem than just electrical.:-?:-?

I've witnessed it happen before believe it or not. Baseboard left on 70 from the winter time, AC kicks on set to 68 and poof they are fighting each other.

It does not take long for them to realize it.

 

[LarryFine]

I've witnessed it happen before believe it or not. Baseboard left on 70 from the winter time, AC kicks on set to 68 and poof they are fighting each other.

It does not take long for them to realize it.

Yeah. The tropical storms in each room kinda give it away.