Codes and Laws – What’s the Difference?

Filed under Bathrooms, General Information, Kitchens by on June 8, 2011 at 1:49 pm {no comments}

In the plumbing industry there is a dizzying amount of information to be considered when selecting and installing plumbing fixtures. For the showroom this means that our sales staff must know about issues of quality and style but also must be familiar with codes, laws and regulations (national and local) as well as the fundamentals of installation.

 Something that is consistently confusing to both our staff and customers is the difference between a law and a code. When referring to codes we are typically speaking of requirements outlined in the “Uniform Plumbing Code” (UPC), developed by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO). IAPMO is a member based organization that is focused on increasing public health and safety through developing comprehensive plumbing and mechanical systems throughout the world.

The Plumber Protects the Health of the Nation

The UPC is written for international use but no one is obliged to follow it unless it has been adopted by the local government. Typically a state will adopt the UPC (or one or two others) and local governments (especially large cities) may then amend the adopted code to meet local requirements. For example San Francisco and Los Angeles code requires certain things based on earthquake safety.

It would be too complicated for me to outline which code is applicable in which area and that isn’t really the purpose of this post. The point is that plumbing codes exist to promote public safety and are not legally binding in the sense that you probably aren’t going to get arrested if you install something that is not “code approved”. This is not to say that codes can be ignored. Building owners who have non-compliant work done on their building may be subject to fines or something more serious if some injury were caused. Code enforcement is generally accomplished through the permit process during which building inspectors will review work and judge that it meets the requirements of the prevailing code.

Something that many homeowners do not understand is that the code is open to a certain amount of interpretation; it is up to the inspector to determine if the requirements of the code are being met and this is not always clear. An example from many years ago happened in San Francisco, where it was required that there be a vacuum breaker used if a hand shower was to be placed on a tub deck (to prevent dirty water being sucked up into the clean water supply). This usually meant a separate vacuum breaker installed on the wall but one plumber we worked with realized that a lift diverter integrated into a tub spout would accomplish the same thing. The inspector did not initially agree but after long explanation and demonstration finally realized the plumber was correct and “passed” the installation (this is one of many reasons why working with experienced building professionals is so important).

California Green Building Standards

2011 has brought us the implementation of “CalGreen” the biggest change to the California code in years. CalGreen involves many different areas of building and is aimed at reducing waste of energy and water. This will affect the plumbing industry by increasing conservation requirements for water, specifically by requiring reduced flow rates in faucets and limiting water output in showers. This will mean no more multi-outlet (carwash) showers in homes affected by CalGreen codes.

The challenge we are facing is that it is not 100% clear yet where (and how) CalGreen will be enforced. We know that it will apply to commercial building and new construction but are not clear how remodeling projects will be affected. Different municipalities and inspectors may interpret CalGreen in various ways and these interpretations may change over time.

Another and lesser known function of IAMPO is product certification. An inspector may require a contractor to provide the “IAMPO listing” for products installed on a job. In order to receive IAPMO approval a product must go through a rigorous process of testing for compliance with IAMPO standards and codes. Having a product that

IAMPO R&T logo

 is “IAMPO Listed” or “UPC Approved” is an indication that it is fit to do the job it is intended for. In this age of Internet sales and importation, IAMPO approval offers consumers one good way to judge product suitability.

Plumbing codes are designed to protect the health and safety of the public by developing comprehensive plumbing systems throughout the world. Codes are important but are not the only regulations that affect the plumbing industry. In my next post I will discuss some local and national laws that influence our industry.

Why Buy from a Plumbing Showroom?

Filed under General Information, Thoughts on Buying by on October 11, 2010 at 2:16 pm {no comments}

It seems that every few years I find myself shopping for a new computer and it is something I face with a mixture of dread and anticipation. Except for the admitted drudgery of downloading to the new machine having a new computer is neat. More features, more speed, better visual, just lots of new stuff to enjoy. But I don’t get to that part until I actually buy the new machine and it is the buying process that I dread.

 You see I don’t really understand computers all that well. I understand the very basic stuff and there are some functions I know I need but when it comes to comparing features I don’t feel well equipped to evaluate and compare. I don’t know enough to predict how features may interact and so I don’t always have the confidence I’d like when making the decision to buy an expensive piece of equipment.

 In today’s economy I think many of us are feeling very cautious about make big spending decisions. Money is not to be wasted. Today we consumers have more options about where to buy AND are much more educated, thanks to the Internet.  There is a huge amount of information online and search engines like Google have made finding it relatively easy. When I searched I got some good basic information about selecting a computer but I was still uncertain about what was best. I read reviews and comparisons which helped but were limited because these comparisons couldn’t tell me why one feature might be useful for me or another not so useful. What I really wanted was someone who knew the products and had experience and so could advise me what would work best for MY needs.

In the end I bought a computer over the phone from a company that had an employee discount program with my employer at the time. I didn’t buy so much for the discount but because I hadn’t found anyone better to help me. It turned out OK but there are a couple of things that don’t perform well for the work I do. Not the end of the world, just annoying. Everything was done over the phone or online but I don’t think that was the problem.  I think it was that the salesperson helping me basically said “look at the list of features and tell me what you want” instead of “ tell me how you use your computer and what you need to do and I will help you decide which features are best for you”. It’s an important difference.

 I imagine that people shopping for home improvement products are in a situation similar to what I faced buying a computer. They know where they want to end up but not exactly how to get there. It’s not just that buying the wrong thing can be an expensive mistake. It’s the frustration of  having to live with the wrong thing annoying us instead of enjoying what we wanted.

The purpose of a showroom like ours is to help you to not pick the wrong thing. We work with the “tell me what you want to have or need to do and I will help you find the best way to do it” method. If this sounds like what you’re looking for please visit us soon. We’d love to meet you!

How we buy

Filed under Thoughts on Buying by on March 12, 2010 at 1:33 pm {one comment}

I had an experience a few weeks back that made me think about how we buy. Every Saturday morning we do a light cleaning in the Showroom. That day I got out the vacuum cleaner and started to work on the floors. I soon realized that there really wasn’t much dirt being pulled up and when I tried to use the hose attachment there was too little suction to do anything.

I checked the warranty and found that I’d have to take it to a service center to get fixed. I didn’t have time for that. I just wanted it to work. So I looked up the troubleshooting guide to see if I could fix it. I quickly discovered that this machine had three filters which could be easily clogged by fine dust (we are near a highway and so fine dirt is a problem). A quick cleaning solved the problem.

Now, each time I use the vacuum I must remember to remove and clean the filters so it will be ready to use the next time. Of course if I had known that clogging filters was a potential problem I would not have purchased this machine. But I didn’t know. Why?

This all got me thinking about how shopping has changed over the years. It was not that long ago that a shopping trip involved significant interaction between buyer and seller. It gave the consumer a chance to ask questions and gave the seller a chance to make recommendations. The store clerk usually had knowledge about the products and was happy to help.

Much has changed. For one there are simply many more products available today. More significantly, I believe, has been the growth of self-service shopping. Grocery stores, gas stations, warehouse stores, home improvement centers, department stores and the Internet all rely on the customer to find what they want and to buy it with minimal help from sales staff. The idea is to make shopping quicker and cheaper but does it really work? Does it really give us more choice at less cost or is a good, knowledgeable salesperson still key part of a successful purchase? As my experience with the vacuum suggests, a good salesperson is still a valuable asset.

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