Shutoff valves, circuit breakers, electric outlets, and gas pilots—only a visual inspection of shutoff valves and circuit breakers is done. One not only wants to be safe in one’s new home; safety is a concern while one’s new home is being inspected. Therefore, the Inspector does not turn on any water or gas shutoff valves, move any electric circuit breakers to the “on” position, plug in anything that has been unplugged, or light any gas pilots, simply because it is not known why the valves or breakers were off, why the equipment was unplugged, or why the gas pilots were turned off. Turning on valves and breakers, plugging in equipment, or trying to light gas pilots without such knowledge can cause property damage, personal injury, and, in a worst case scenario, loss of life.
I hope some listen to you Jae ,this is so important not turned on leave it off. I can give you two examples happened to me this year.
One was a water pump at a cottage.
Agent said owner states it is OK to turn on the pump.
.No way its off and I am not allowed to turn it on.
Agent gets down finds the plug plugs it in and no prime just hummmmmmmm . Well what do we do now she said, suddenly PRIME and water like a fire hydrant all over the kitchen floor. .
We get the pump unplugged and try and clean up the water.
This summer nice little home owners husband has passed away and the water is shut of to the second floor.
Purchaser and I are in the crawl space and he wants the water turned on . Same story sorry I am not allowed he goes upstairs and talks to the lady and she knows nothing he again asks me and same story this time agent, owner and his wife hears me tell sorry .
Well he Finely gets the water turned on and you know what, bad seal on toilet upstairs and water every where.
Well the water he gets shut of almost . Yep it still leaks and the owner calls the agent he calls me as I am the only one who lives close, next street.
I go and shut the water off properly, lucky I had just bought some fresh corn and gave the lady ( She lived alone ) 3 cobs just picked .
She was so happy and said to me the purchaser said when she called him about the water .
That damed Home inspector should have made sure it was shut off .
She said, I new it was not your fault, I heard you tell him three times you could not turn it on .
So if you can not see what Jae said you might be better of buying a chip truck .
In Canada we have on many corners trucks that sell Chips ( in the USA they Call them French Fries ).
If a person can get the correct place and give a good helping they can make enough money in 6 months to take the rest of the years of .
It can be long hours but some make big money .
Deffinatly! Do not turn anything on that is off… I have stuck by this rule for my short time in the biz and on more than one occasion the Agent will do it for you only to find out that the kitchen is flooded or the furnace is smoking… Leave the off stuff off especially the gas.:mrgreen:
Short version of a story I heard in a chapter meeting fifteen years ago. Inspector turned on breaker that was tripped. When he finally arrived in detached guest quarters documents in an electric oven were smoldering. Home owner was an attorney, the guest quarters were his office, and he used the oven to store files. Moral to the story? Don’t eat chips with mayonaise.