As always, there is a Seinfeld pic for every situation...;)
Posted on 12/16/2013 9:54:26 PM PST by BenLurkin
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — If you’re planning to remodel your kitchen or make other home improvements in 2014, it could cost you more than you’re willing to spend.
Effective Jan. 1, 2014, a 2009 state law introduced by a Southland lawmaker will require some homeowners to install water-saving fixtures on toilets, shower heads and faucets throughout the house.
“After you’re done with your regular inspector you deal with the green inspector. They double-check certain things that maybe the regular inspector is not looking for,” said Alan Erdy, who’s remodeling his two-bedroom home in Studio City.
Senate Bill 407 (PDF) calls for any residential and commercial property built and available for use on or before January 1, 1994, to replacing plumbing fixtures that are not water conserving.
Authored by State Senator Alex Padilla, the bill was initially crafted by Sacramento lawmakers — with heavy support from state water agencies — to reduce urban water consumption and work towards slashing water use statewide by 20 percent by 2020.
The bill calls for low-flow fixture upgrades in all homes, apartments and commercial buildings built in 1994 or earlier — about 11 million single-family homes and buildings statewide, according to U.S. Census data, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Gone are the days of the car-wash shower.
“You cannot have that on because it’s too much water, you’re wasting a lot of water,” according to Diane Gonzales of Universal Kitchen and Bath.
Gonzales said some customers aren’t taking to the news too well.
“Especially on the toilets, they’re like, ‘Whoa, wait a minute!’” she said.
Some manufacturers have even made changes to their toilet, shower head and faucet products to comply with the law.
“If they didn’t change it we’re not going to be selling their product and we’re going to be selling the product that is approved in California,” she said.
The Association of California Water Agencies, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission sponsored SB 407 — which was modeled after similar programs in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco — in an effort Padilla said “will help Californians use water more efficiently and more responsibly.”
But since the passage of the bill, local government building officials and contractors have largely been uncertain of its impact, with some predicting a sharp spike in demand for building permits ahead of the Jan. 1 deadline.
A home fixture expert at Universal Kitchen and Bath said that California is leading the green initiative and the rest of the nation is expected to follow.
“They want to save water so what better way to do it than on the new constructions and remodels?” said Erdy, who hopes to have his renovations finished by February. “I understand why so I can live with it…And if you’re saving water and helping the environment that’s even better.”
Too many laws
We were forced to spend about $2,000 more than planned last year (compared to simple incandescent cans) to install LED lamps in our kitchen and dining area remodel. Sure glad we got that done before the water Nazis invaded.
In Palo Alto, all new construction MUST include wiring for chargers for EVs.
Stop hiring contractors! Skip the taxable and inspectable transaction. If you don’t know how to do something there is likely an online video which will show you how to do it.
Yup and waaaay tooo many stoopnagles.
Low volume toilets = flush two or three times. Water saved = 0
Low volume showers = shower longer. Water saved = 0
Low volume dishwashers w/ “pause” cycle = wash more and more maintenance. Water saved = 0 $saved = 0
How did that work out?
Install a few Nuclear Power plants hooked to desalination units and California water problems would be manageable.
Too logical, though.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Or at the very least, hide their truck in the garage & don’t tell anybody you’re remodeling.
Everything I have done I hire off Craigslist. They do what I tell them. I get some really good deals too since usually they are just out of work and trying to get by.
Something tells me that the grand poobahs in Sacramento don’t realize that you can rip the flow regulators out of those fancy new “green” fixtures.
A buddy of mine is a fire chief. In his town, if you do any type of remodel it needs a permit and inspection. AND - you have to install smoke detectors up to code throughout the entire house! (New deck, new detectors! I think they even have to be smart ones where if one goes off they all go off).
He said they had one fire where they had a contractor do a remodel including a fireplace. The contractor was supposed to get the permits, inspection, etc. (They didn’t)
The homeowner lit the fire once everything was done to burn off the new paint (and smell). And then went to the far end of the house to watch TV as they didn’t want to be in the room that smelled.
Pretty soon they smelled something different than the faint smell of paint. A faint smell of burning wood maybe? The man wandered out to see his new den in flames. Got his wife out, called 911 and watched as most of the house was destroyed. I forget exactly, but the fireplace was designed for a two-inch air gap, but the contractor had put it up against the framing.
My buddy didn’t mention no insurance coverage. But the guy did get fined for no permit, another for no inspection. And a third for no updated smoke detectors. (He didn’t have ANY in the house!)
California is absolutely, positively intent on driving itself bankrupt - except, of course, for the legislators, the IT zillionaires, and the movie stars.
Those sainted souls are protected from contact with the hoi polloi and exempt from all laws and regulations.
About 20 years ago, a co worker of mine had just paid off his mortgage and said, “Good, now I’m not required to have home owner’s insurance” and promptly dropped it. His house burned to the ground within a year.
Stupid is as stupid does.
Rest of the nation expected to follow?
These stupid, myopic jackasses should stfu and mind their own business.
In the region where I live our water source is Lake Ontario. What the hell are we going to do? Drain the great lakes by spending too long in the shower?
Why anyone would live in a hostile foreign socialist country like Commifornia defies my imagination.
I am so glad I do not live in a place like that. I built on to my home (added 2000 sq feet) and never had to talk to one person about anything. I understand living in a city etc and having some laws but it does get ridiculous and expensive.
True. I was too hasty to throw inspection into the mix. One should still get an inspection for new electrical even when not using a contractor. This presumably applies to new water lines. IIRC in my jurisdiction a repair of an existing electrical line/socket/etc or water line does not need inspection.
For those on wells and septic systems, this is insane. Those folks pull water to the surface and reintroduce it to the soil to infiltrate. There is virtually no evaporative loss. In fact, it may improve the performance of the hydrocycle.
Go away. Some of us know what we are doing. Sending an image to my insurance company would work just as well. They're supposed to be in the business of risk management, not government, which is effectively providing incompetent cover for the insurers with all these inspections.
This is pork, plain and simple.
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