Wrong color for electrical conduit is a big deal
Q. I just laid an underground power line to my backyard workshop, and I ran the wires in white PVC pipe. The building inspector says I should have used gray PVC pipe, and he ordered me to dig a trench for the new pipe. Please explain what difference it makes if the conduit is white or gray - or purple for that matter!
A. From a practical perspective, electrical wires will work just as well in a white, gray or purple pipe, but there is a another reason for the color requirement, having nothing to do with performance. Suppose you hire a plumber or landscape contractor to repair your backyard sprinkler system. He excavates what he believes to be a PVC water pipe and cuts into it with a hacksaw.
Surprise! Your plumber has just dissected a set of 220 volt wires, and is now twitching in semiconsciousness beside the rose bushes. Time to call 911.
To prevent mishaps of this kind, the building code specifies gray plastic conduit as a means of easy identification, to protect workers from needless injury. Plumbers and electricians are familiar with this system of color-coding and rely upon it for their own safety. Accordingly, white pipe denotes water, gray indicates electrical wiring, yellow is used exclusively for gas, and purple is now being used or recycled water.
The use of PVC water pipe for electrical wiring is a common code violation, typically occurring when homeowners and other nonprofessionals install underground wiring without adequate knowledge of standard requirements. Adhering to these standards can prevent serious injuries. Therefore, compliance with the building inspector's mandate is advised.
Q. I bought my home a few months ago, and no one advised me to hire a home inspector. Since moving in, I've had a stream of plumbing problems, and a friend has just told me that disclosure laws require a home inspection whenever a house is sold. What can you tell me about this requirement?
A. Disclosure laws require sellers and real estate agents to disclose all known defects, but you were misinformed about home inspections being a legal requirement.
Home inspection is an optional service, available to buyers at their request and expense. Most real estate agents routinely recommend an inspection, but some homebuyers remain unaware of this essential service or simply make the mistake of declining to take advantage of it. Consequently, a surprising number of homes still close escrow without adequate disclosure of physical defects.
In some states, banks and mortgage companies routinely require a termite inspection before they approve a purchase loan, demonstrating their concern for damages caused by termites, fungus and other wood-destroying pests. Yet these same lenders express no particular interest in faulty conditions pertaining to the foundation, roof, electric wiring, plumbing, heating or other physical circumstances impacting the value, use and safety of a home.
Until lenders demand full disclosure as part of the purchase process, prudent buyers will need to initiate the process for their own protection. Home inspections are available to wary buyers, but this remains a matter of choice, not a legal requirement.
• To write to Barry Stone, visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.
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