an electrical problem

My brother had his house burn to the ground a few years ago. The cause was electrical. He too is dedicated to spending as little as he can. He even refers tohimslf as a 'cheap charley.' But this one taught him something. Time and money spent on quality and doing it right in the first place is way cheaper in the long haul. BTW, his fire insurance was capped at what the insurance company called the total value of the house. He did not have total replacement insurance. He did nearly all the work himself and had to dig deep into savings to complete the job. But I bet he still is on plywood floors!

With Frank's case, he has a wiring issue that could prove to be catastrophic because someone at some time decided to save a few bucks by not running a separate circuit for a light. Nothing to do with the switch he just bought and installed. For that he can be thankful that a much larger potential problem was discovered.

If ever there was a place to spend right and do the job without shortcuts, electrical work is the place. While I can wire circuits myself (my uncle taught me long ago), I still hired an electrian to put in my sub panel in the Tiny Shop. And that was with an eye for future needs. Everything is sized correctly and installed properly. Peace of mind, a good job well done, provision for future needs - all for only $530.

This is not a cut at you, Frank, so don't go there. I don't want you to have a catastrophic event in your life. And maybe someone else can save some grief by heeding what is offered here.
 
...This is not a cut at you, Frank, so don't go there. I don't want you to have a catastrophic event in your life. And maybe someone else can save some grief by heeding what is offered here.

Seconded. :thumb: It's fortunate that the switch went out and led Frank to discovering the problematic gift that had been left by a previous owner.
 
If the wire from that switch goes all the way back to the breaker, it's a simple (electrician's) job to simple add a 15 amp (single pole) breaker to the panel, and put the switch's wire on that.

If the switch's wire comes off the stoves receptacle, then it's a much more complicated job, requiring running new wire.

Either way, it's a job that desperately needs doing!
 
Thanks all. You now have me genuinely concerned. I'll get it looked at. Ironically, the house was built by a contractor for himself. One think he did things correctly. And, doubly ironically, I am on the County Planning Board. We are currently trying to get revisions to our subdivision/building regulations but are running into fierce opposition from folks who want to do things themselves without building permits or inspections.
 
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