The final decision is up to the Berkeley City Council,
--Berkeley, that explains it all, why be surprised? lol
What about the residents decision on whether to inform ANYONE of when they replace light switch or anything else in their house?
How will they enforce it?
It is Berkeley after all.
But, shouldn't they also have to drop to their knees and invoke the blessing of the Mother Earth Spirit?
Memo to self... reason #457 not to move to California...
• Installing hard-wired sound, intercom and communication systems.
So forget about installing that home theater.
• Connecting portable motors and appliances to permanent suitable receptacles that were previously installed.
You can no longer plug that grinder into the wall, nor the electric drill (portable motors or appliances). If you want to get really anal (and why not, this is CA after all), appliances could mean a toaster, so you now need a permit to plug in a toaster to an existing outlet.
• Installing wiring for temporary theater, television and film sets.
You can no longer connect up speaker wires to your stereo, if I read this right.
• Repair or replacement of fixed motors, transformers and appliances of the same type and in the same location.
You can't replace that old bench grinder with a new one, to say nothing of the motor in the washing machine.
So, what's the problem? Just get into your time machine when you do the next electrical job and set the date for pre-August 2005.
The inspectors in my neck of the woods are ratcheting things up as well. A 240v service in my garage now needs a separate grounding rod, main and main retaining clip. The can I hung on the wall last year before the snow is now obsolete. Last time I checked, the two grounds in the house system were functioning too. Looks to me like the Unions want more work and feel crowded by DIY'ers.
Berkeley better beef up the fire department.
Good grief! No wonder everybody in CA is moving to Montana. It'll now cost those poor suckers a couple of hundred $ just to install a dimmer switch. What Californians really need to do is install a dimmer switch on the ridiculous state assembly of theirs for having codified this bit of larcenous lunacy and shut 'em down for good.
The next step, of course, is to outlaw the sale of the offending items - or at least require a person to show a license if he wants to purchase a light switch.
I wonder how many illegal aliens will comply with these permits?
On the surface this appears to be simple pandering to the interests of licensed electricians, however I can see both sides here. Some home electrical tasks can be simple, if you know what you are doing, but there are many who think they do but they don't. The difference between #12 and #14 wire can mean the difference between nothing exciting and coming home to a smoldering ruin. Self professed "home fixeruppers" are the worst, while the best are those with extensive practical experience like on farms where electricity is treated with respect. I object to draconian laws that hamper otherwise technically adept people from performing routine home electrical maintenance and repair, but I also object to paying a homeowner's insurance premium that went up because some jerk thought he knew more about installing a load center and jacuzzi than a licensed electrician. An equitable situation for all parties involved lies somewhere in the middle.
ping 4 latter.
Guess the Californians will have to purchase switches, receptacles, and outlets from ebay to circumvent the power nazis.
Will it be illegal to show certain episodes of "This Old House" in California?
Sheesh! Power to the Socialists. Convert Home Depots to gulags! /sarcasm
Umm, this is not clear. is this just for Berkeley or all of California? This is the first I heard of it.
Is this for real?
According to 2004 California Electrical Code
"The 2004 California Electrical Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 3) applies to all occupancies that applied for a building permit on or after August 1, 2005, and remains in effect until the effective date of the next edition."
So, it seems that the 2004 code doesn't apply to an existing home that doesn't apply for a new building permit (most homes that aren't being remodeled).
Just do it and don't tell anyone, remember SSS, Shoot, Shovel, Shut-up. Well, maybe not exactly, we need to come up with the electronic equivalent here but you'll get the idea. B-)
Will smoking pot still be legal there?