Fight the building inspectors (Pittsburgh, Plum: how much, houses, new construction)

[greg42]

Originally Posted by jay5835

Yes, like going off when I cook anything.

So beneficial.

If it goes off anytime you cook it's not really located well. Newer models have an easily pressed hush button that shuts up a false alarm, but really, it shouldn't false that much.

If you're in a rental, though, you're pretty much stuck unless you want to shell out for another one and put it up yourself. (I've put up an extra one in a rental before.) Hey, at least you know it works. People die because they think smoke detectors are in place then they don't work.

Just like anything you buy as a precaution it seems like a hassle and waste until it saves your ass. Car insurance is a big waste of money, right? Pay them all that money every year and what do you get in return? Nothing.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

One outrageous post... troll?

Maybe. Rather subtle if it is, because the only purpose would be to, what? See if we end up fighting about smoke detectors?

I know, I know, the ways of trolls are not understandable....

[amstel78]

Originally Posted by jay5835

Yes, like going off when I cook anything.

So beneficial.

I'd worry about your kitchen ventilation then. Mine do not go off when I cook stuff...

[MeinGlanzendMotorrad]

Frankly I'd worry about his cooking.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by DrDad

I'm having a bathroom remodeled. The (Allegheny) County building inspector passed the work in progress and then claimed that I had to have smoke detectors installed. I've got bid for $3500 to put in nine of them. (It's a 3 story in Squirrel Hill that a real estate agent would call a 5-bedroom, although there's only one room in which people sleep.)

I hate smoke detectors. They're ugly and the go off for no reason. I do not want them in my house! (If your tempted to "flame" at me -- ouch -- consider yourself suitably imprecated.)

Does anyone know how I can fight this? The inspector is not due back until after the work is done, so what could he do?

A reference to a lawyer who could handle this might be helpful. I'd rather spend the money on lawyers than smoke detectors.

I'm not in PA -- but here in Oakland, California when we had our kitchen remodel done, they required us to put in certain lighting (fluorescent lighting with pin syle lamps).... but only where we were remodeling. They can't make you (at least out here) redo your whole house when all you are redoing is one small part.

And do they require you to hard wire them? If not, buy the cheapest nine you can, get Command adhesive picture strips, and slap them up with that. Should cost you around 100 bucks total.

By the way -- the work around here is put in the cheapest lighting fixture you can find (ours was about 12 bucks), pass inspection and change it out.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

I'm not in PA -- but here in Oakland, California when we had our kitchen remodel done, they required us to put in certain lighting (fluorescent lighting with pin syle lamps)

Just out of curiosity why do they require specific lighting in the kitchen?

[hempfield mania]

It's the socialist republic of California, need I say more?

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by UKyank

Just out of curiosity why do they require specific lighting in the kitchen?

it's not specifically the kitchen, we were remodeling the kitchen, so that's what they went after.

Oakland code requires unalterable lights so you have to use pinned fluorescent lamps. You can't put in regular lights and use fluorescent spirals, because you can change that to old fashioned incandescents. (Understand my redo was 10 years ago)

The bad part with me is that this was an overhead light. I told the inspector over and over I don't use the overhead light. Overhead lights bother me. He didn't care -- that was code. SoI replaced a perfectly servicable incandscent light I never used, with a cheap fluorescent light I never use.

If we had remodeled the living room, the same thing would have happened -- fluorescent.

I have to admit, we did switch out the lights from incandescnet to fluorescent that year and it did save us a boatload of money.

[spotzx11]

see if your building code allows frequency smoke detectors and install them yourself easy. you only need smoke det outside each bedroom and ingress and egress hallways, they determine bedrooms by closets if a room in question has no closet its not a bedroom, you can appeal the matter too with a town appointed volunteer board.. you can bring it to court or hearing if the board doesnt agree with you, you could attack the inspectors credentials stating hes not a fireman or electrician and not qualified to make these accusations... anyway goodluck..

[Goodjules]

It's code just about everywhere in the US as far as I know. Here in the SF Bay Area fire sprinklers are required in new construction and remodels over 3000 sq.ft.