Hidden Electric Panel ?? WTF

[James L. Keilson]

OK so I did an inspection yesterday on a 1953 built home. This house had the typical harry homeowner defects like tons of unsafe Jerry rigged wiring, plumbing floor work, well you name it, I saw it. OK so I am just about getting to the end and I start looking around for the electric panel. Can't locate it anyplace. It had an overhead service, and where the SEC enters the house there is no panel? I even looked for it down in the "Nasty *** crawlspace...Nothing, it just is no place to be found. OK the seller comes home since I'm going on 5 hours and they were told to stay away about 3-4 hours. I ask the old guy where the panel is. He tells me since they never use it for anything they decided to just cover it up behind a kitchen base cabinet.. His son comes home, grabs a sawl saw and goes to town.

[Marc-Andre Beauchemin]

Parole de Marc-Andre,

It sure was an ugly Electrical panel, this is why it was hidden!

Salut,

[Tim Spargo]

Too funny. Sellers have a way of "sharing information" that usually hurts them.. This time it was helpful.

Talk about a good memory, he just walked over with a sawzall and nailed it?

[James L. Keilson]

Originally Posted by tspargo

Too funny. Sellers have a way of "sharing information" that usually hurts them.. This time it was helpful.

Talk about a good memory, he just walked over with a sawzall and nailed it?

Yup, I was with my client and wife, their agent, and mother in law. I was puzzled, and started to feel like an idiot, and out of no place comes the sellers son actually, with a sawzall. My client kinda had this look on his face that was priceless. I wanted to snap his picture, but figured that would be a little unprofessional. Don;t think for a second I wasn't cracking up inside..hahaha just had to keep my composure.

[Bruce A. King]

Looks like the cabinet was cut out during cabinet installation. A sawzall has a reciprocating blade that needs a few inches through the cut. Where is the sawdust?

[Dan Bowers, CMI]

At this point its accessible, so if its got 36" in front and 30" to the side, whats your problem. Quit being so nit-picky.

5 hours / More than a little too much. Keep working toward the 45 minute mark if you're get in 5 or 6 jobs a day and make agents happy.

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by bking

Looks like the cabinet was cut out during cabinet installation. A sawzall has a reciprocating blade that needs a few inches through the cut. Where is the sawdust?

You are very right about that.
No way that was cut out with the panel in place using a sawzall.

[Marc-Andre Beauchemin]

How about the wires?

Pretty scary! Imagine the fireworks!

Salut,

[James L. Keilson]

The cabinet that covers this panel is a base cabinet that is not secured to anything and actually can slide in and out. FYI based on my recommendations they are having an electrical contractor meet this morning and give them an estimate on doing a full 200 amp Heavy Up and obviously moving the panel as well as a page or 2 of other wild home owner electrical "experiments".

Jim

[Douglas Cossar]

Similar Story

Nice 2 story home with a completely finished basement.

The outside basement wall has several built in book shelves.

I looked and looked all over the place for the panel. Told the buyer and their agent that I couldn't find the panel so she calles the listing agent and the owner called back about 10 min later.

Low and behold, the panel is behind one of the book shelves. Owner says go and grab the right side of the book shelf near the front of the basement and open it.

Dam shelf was on hinges, panel behind it.

Wish I got a pic

Cheers

[Scott F. Coslett]

The cabinet that covers this panel is a base cabinet that is not secured to anything and actually can slide in and out.

So if the main service panel is covered by a base cabinet, and the base cabinet slides out of the way, what was actually cut?