Inflation? What Inflation - LOL
- Thread starter wayoflife
- Start date
I should note, this goes beyond becoming a homeowner. This also includes the cost of a new roof, a new furnace or HVAC, a new kitchen or any kind of remodeling and it SUCKS!!
The biggest problem is that prices have gone up but for most people, wages have not got up at the same rate or worse, have gone down. That means, not only are things more expensive but the dollar you have is not worth as much as it had.
OverlanderJK
Resident Smartass
Can confirm, everything is expensive. I don’t think anything but our permit was on or under budget so far.
Mike Pierson
Hooked
Just spent $3K to have a new old-school water heater installed. Code required changes I couldn’t do myself in a timely manor plus a permit was needed. Stupid expensive.
NPC 6060⁸42
Hooked
Holy F**k is this a rental? Why would you need a permit to fix something in your own house?
OverlanderJK
Resident Smartass
Permits are pretty common when replacing water heaters.
What Overlander said ^^^
It's dumb but a lot of cities require it to help ensure you're up to code.
cosmokenney
Member
When I first started buying these, I thought they were expensive a $7.99. But back then, one was enough for both my son and myself to share. And they were an easy, somewhat healthy, meal for a single dad to make. So, I bought them regularly. Now they are at $13.99, and I need to buy two bags to get enough food for the both of us. I'd say there is a good 1/3 less contents in each bag now.
bobfriesenhahn
Hooked
Broken or failing water heaters are a major source of home damage. Lots of water heaters are self installed without even a tray to divert leaks, much less provide a line for the blow-off valve in case the pressure is too high. If the water heater was not installed according to code, they could deny claims.
The water heater in our Dallas home burst, and there was no tray or drainage system, so plenty of damage, even though I noticed it quickly and was vacuuming up water right away. We did not call our insurance, but we should have.
For our home in Arizona, I noticed that there was nothing for the blow-off valve. They charged me $750 to run a line for the blow-off valve!
NPC 6060⁸42
Hooked
So if I go down to Home Depot or Lowe’s and buy a water heater how is the state going to know? I’m sure as hell not going to ask permission.
Nobody will know but if you ever sell your home and it isn't installed to code, home inspection will note it and it may or may not make the potential buyer make you have it addressed prior to closing. At that point and time, you may incur a penalty with the city - depends on how they are.
NPC 6060⁸42
Hooked
Do you mean the pressure relief valve? It’s a pretty straight forward thing to sweat a pipe and run it down the side of a water heater.
NPC 6060⁸42
Hooked
Interesting. But how would an inspector know? IOW if I didn’t tell him I replaced a water heater with out govt permission wouldn’t it then be assumed to be in compliance when the house was built? I’m not trying to be obtuse I’m intrigued. I live in an area where we own our property and are pretty much free to use it however we wish without government interference.
I'm not an inspector but I would know. Again, it all depends on the city you live in and the rules/regulations they might have. I would imagine that most don't have anything but if you live in a state where there is a lot of seismic activity, most of the codes will be in regards to that. For instance, having the water heater elevated, having it sit in a drain pan, having the pressure relief valve purge plumbed to purge outside your home and of course, have it strapped to the wall along with other electrical stuff like having a disconnect. When I buy a new property, I look for things like this and if they're not present and I can tell the water heater is new enough to require them, I'll make the seller address it or take money off the selling price.
With that said, if you know what code should be, you could do it all yourself and nobody would know unless they asked for permits and I would.
OverlanderJK
Resident Smartass
They might not. It’s retarded they require them. I’m not sure if they do in my area but I can install mine on my new house without a special permit, what would the difference be in 10 years if I replace it myself?
It’s just a money grab really. Pretty dumb. But most home owners don’t replace their own water heater.
In my area, they have to have a green inspection sticker from the city on them. So here, absence of that would be the first clue. Beyond that, as long as it was a proper install that met code, I suppose they most likely wouldn't know or care.
bobfriesenhahn
Hooked
The line was run to the outside of the house, which required some routing and running underneath the house. Regardless, it seemed that they charged a lot. Plumber hourly rates in excess of $250 are common now.
Water from the pressure relief valve is obviously normally under high pressure, so running down to the tray would not be effective.