Hot tub installed without a building permit
Q. The people who are buying my house hired a home inspector. One question the inspector asked is whether we obtained a permit when we installed the hot tub. Until now, I hadn't given a thought to permits, but the buyers insist that I should now obtain one. I've explained that the hot tub was professionally installed and has operated problem-free for nearly two years, but they're not satisfied. Please help to resolve this disagreement. Is a permit required when installing a hot tub?
A. The answer to your questions is a combination of yes and no. According to the building code, a permit is required for an in-ground swimming pool or hot tub. A prefabricated swimming pool or hot tub that is installed above ground at a single-family residence does not require a building permit, unless the water capacity exceeds 5,000 gallons. Therefore, most hot tubs and spas are exempt from building permit requirements, unless the local municipality has permit standards that are more strict than those in the building code.
However, if electrical and plumbing connections must be added to enable installation of the hot tub, these hookups, for safety reasons, are subject to building permit and building code requirements.
Regardless of permit requirements, many home hot tub systems are installed without the owners obtaining permits. As a result, code violations of one kind or another are commonly found by home inspectors, even when hot tubs are professionally installed. Discrepancies usually occur because spa technicians are experts in the field of spa hardware and equipment, while lacking some of the expertise that is standard among plumbers and electricians.
Commonly-found safety violations include buried gas piping without a rust-preventive coating; over-fused and double-tapped electrical circuits; substandard electrical grounding; exposed and unprotected Romex wires; and worst of all, lack of ground fault protection, a condition that can expose hot tub users to potentially fatal electric shock.
If your hot tub was installed without professional attention to plumbing and electrical safety requirements, it would be wise to have these aspects of the system evaluated by qualified experts. This could protect future users of the hot tub while reducing your exposure to financial liability after you sell your home.
Q. Two of the dual-pane windows in my home have become foggy. I've considered replacing them with single-pane glass, rather than dual glazing, because I don't want to have a recurrence of this problem. Does this seem like a practical idea?
A. Replacing dual-pane windows with a single sheet of glass will eliminate the possibility of continued fogging, but you will lose the intended benefits of dual-pane windows. The air space in double-pane windows provides insulation for your home, and this reduces your heating and cooling bills. If you change to single-pane windows, you will forfeit this advantage. Also, depending on the age of your home, single-pane windows may not comply with the building code.
Before replacing any of your fogged windows, check to see if your windows are still under warranty. You may be able to have the faulty windows replaced for free.
• 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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