So I get a call yesterday from a recent client:
'Markus, was there anything else wrong with our electrical panel?'
I'm somewhat baffled.
Umm...No whatever was wrong was in the report. What's going on?
As background on the inspection: 100AMP, 20 pos. GE panel found various wiring problems with the panel during original insp.
The unit had an electric water tank wired on the panel to a 30AMP double pos breaker. Breaker for HWT was off, thus no hot water during insp.
I told the client that the HWT was about 12-15 years old, that it may work or not, it was probably off for a reason and that if it did work at all it might work another day or 5 years no way to know.
The condo was new, clearly the tank came from another jobsite.
Back to present. Client called Joe handyman, plumber, electrician to, not replace to tank but replace the heating elements. Considering a tank is $3-400 bucks I wonder what kind of racket that is.
Client states 'guy' turned off the 30 AMP breaker and power went out in the whole unit, won't come back on. "Did I not see something wrong"?
Puts handy on the phone, over and over, "all I did was flip the 30 amp breaker off. Don't know what could have happened, blah, blah.
Clearly trying to throw this on me.
I walk him through checking things after asking if he is comfortable with doing so. (yeah, I know). No power to panel, I tell him the problem has to be at the meter socket. "Well where's that?". Walk him through finding it.
Sure enough, main switch at meter socket is OFF.
Who wants to bet Joe handyman didn't flip the breaker off before starting his work and 'kaboom'. Of course he didn't want to admit it to the client.
It must be a problem the HI missed.

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