I have recently installed Arc-fault interuptor breakers, they are code for all bed rooms. they trip when an arc is detected on the circuit.
Glad you got your problem fixed, i would recomend getting a qualified electrician to look over the entire house. Also you can buy the NEC code book to see what the current code is. While you may not be required to bring it upto current code, i’d recommend doing it.
Also (my opinion) I’d recomend having a dedicated circuit for computer equipment, but definatly not on the same circuit as a dishwasher, fridge (dedicated by code), microwave, or other large appliance.
I suggest that you still get either a licensed electrician or a home inspector to come verify that the work was done correctly.
You say that the former EE from Fusion was a “very bright” man, but that doesn’t mean that he’s knowledgeable about the requirements set out by building codes.
I have a colleague who is a very good jack-of-all-trades. He did the wiring in the room that was added on and still called a licensed electrician to sign off on the work.
And, as someone who is going to be putting new lights into the bathroom, rather than getting him to come do it, you’d better believe that I will have a licensed electrician come out. I’m even considering calling the home inspector that reviewed my place while it was in escrow just to verify everything.
“Home inspectors” are a waste of time and money. What is REALLY best is to call an electrician, a plumber, and a HVAC professional and have them each look at their own things. Home inspectors are generally someone who took a class or two and a quiz and got a “certification”. Someone who is lisenced in a trade (an electrician, a plumber, and a HVAC professional) Are lisenced and very well trained and have proper experience at what to look for. Most home inspectors will tell you to do something that is unnessisary or wasteful.
After working a lot with electical(electrical engineer in a plant and a licensed builder), all the chared wires that I have come across that develop overtime are from a loose connection and not from the circuit being overloaded. I would change the breaker back to the correct size of 15 amps and replace the chared wires and outlets. I didn’t have time to read all the posts, just scanned them, so there are no warrentees on my advice.
Recently got a smoked wire at the circuit breaker due to poor screw contact.
In addition, solid-core wires which are bent and carrying large currents crack and buckle after many years (say 20+?) so always use good quality wires and non-flammable trunking, they emit a smell, turn black, but do not go into flames
