While we’re opining on bad regs, my pet peeve for this week is Massachusetts law that requires any plumbing fixture installed in the state (that includes faucets, sinks, tubs, and toilets) be explicitly approved by the MA Board despite nationally accredited testing which would already have been performed.
Of course manufacturers need to apply for each product SKU individually and needs to resubmit every 3 years, and pay a fee of $150.00 per every 10 SKUs with a maximum of $1,500.00 with their application.
In response MA will cash their check and add a line item into a database (which they paid probably untold millions to build) and do absolutely no testing or certification of their own.
The typical solution is to simply stipulate that products must have gone through nationally accredited testing for XYZ and that the licensed plumber simply attests they have verified this is true for any fixtures they installed by checking a box on the permit form.
But you know, 100,000 product SKUs at $1.50 per SKU every 3 years is a pretty sweet money grab.
So much for ordering a $30 cold water fill from Amazon, I can pay Delta $100 for the same thing. Or, you know, install the Amazon version myself after the inspection is done.
Ditto for regs which technically make it illegal to install a light switch or new outlet with USB charging ports on in. Because, you know, screwing in 3 wires.
Ditto for regs on make-up air for over-range ventilation which doesn’t account for the actual tightness of the building envelope and type of vented gas fixtures which could conceivably backdraft. Wouldn’t want to make it too complex, let’s just cut big fucking baffled holes in the building envelope to “make-up” for every CFM over 400. I guess I can just disconnect the pressure switch after the inspector leaves.
Building codes are often quite sensible and important. But some states or even towns in particular turn it into a money grab.
Sigh, first world problems.