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Posted by Lee B on November 1, 2009, 1:24 pm
(I'm clueless about electricity... actually it sort of scares me, so
this is all Greek to me).
Question - I'm in the process of selling an older(1950's) home. The home
inspection was Friday, and I got the buyers' laundry list Saturday
afternoon. One of the things they are asking for is GFCI's to be
installed in the bathrooms. (This is in Baltimore County, if that makes
a difference). I know that I've heard that these are required if a
bathroom is renovated, but are they required in one that hasn't been?
The only thing I've done in the past 20+ years to the bathroom was to
paint, and have a new vanity installed. There is currently a two prong
outlet near the sink in the hall bath. I saw a couple of sites online
that says these can be GFI'd, but that they won't have an equipment
ground (whatever that is).
In the basement bathroom (truly in the basement, not like it's a powder
room), the only outlet at all is one that is built into an old medicine
cupboard.
I don't want to lose the sale, and am willing to do what's legally
requited, but am trying to find out if these are *required* or just
desirable. The home inspection report just says "recommend bathroom
electrical outlet be replaced with GFCI type outlet". There are a number
of other items in the laundry list that to me fall in the "it would be
nice" category (repair cracked tiles on bathroom wall), but don't affect
habitability of the house, and I'm trying to figure if it's easier to
just offer some additional money at settlement and let them have the
work done themselves. I guess I'll spend the day on the phone tomorrow
getting estimates.
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Posted by in2dadark on November 1, 2009, 1:41 pm
> (I'm clueless about electricity... actually it sort of scares me, so
> this is all Greek to me).
> Question - I'm in the process of selling an older(1950's) home. The home
> inspection was Friday, and I got the buyers' laundry list Saturday
> afternoon. One of the things they are asking for is GFCI's to be
> installed in the bathrooms. (This is in Baltimore County, if that makes
> a difference). I know that I've heard that these are required if a
> bathroom is renovated, but are they required in one that hasn't been?
> The only thing I've done in the past 20+ years to the bathroom was to
> paint, and have a new vanity installed. There is currently a two prong
> outlet near the sink in the hall bath. I saw a couple of sites online
> that says these can be GFI'd, but that they won't have an equipment
> ground (whatever that is).
> In the basement bathroom (truly in the basement, not like it's a powder
> room), the only outlet at all is one that is built into an old medicine
> cupboard.
> I don't want to lose the sale, and am willing to do what's legally
> requited, but am trying to find out if these are *required* or just
> desirable. The home inspection report just says "recommend bathroom
> electrical outlet be replaced with GFCI type outlet". There are a number
> of other items in the laundry list that to me fall in the "it would be
> nice" category (repair cracked tiles on bathroom wall), but don't affect
> habitability of the house, and I'm trying to figure if it's easier to
> just offer some additional money at settlement and let them have the
> work done themselves. I guess I'll spend the day on the phone tomorrow
> getting estimates.
Not very hard to do at all. Just shut the power off to that room and
test it with a radio or lamp if you don't have a tester. The GF
recepticals cost more than the usual ones but are no harder to
install. I'm guessin' you only have one receptical per bath room, most
do. You can DIY easily.
Not sure about the code thing. (guessin' again) If there isn't GFI,
there are probably other important things that aren't code either.
They may want a certified electrician to do it as well. So, my earlier
suggestion may not work. But, again, they're easy to do..
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Posted by Gordon Shumway on November 1, 2009, 1:44 pm
wrote:
>I don't want to lose the sale, and am willing to do what's legally
>requited, but am trying to find out if these are *required* or just
>desirable. The home inspection report just says "recommend bathroom
>electrical outlet be replaced with GFCI type outlet". There are a number
>of other items in the laundry list that to me fall in the "it would be
>nice" category (repair cracked tiles on bathroom wall), but don't affect
>habitability of the house, and I'm trying to figure if it's easier to
>just offer some additional money at settlement and let them have the
>work done themselves. I guess I'll spend the day on the phone tomorrow
>getting estimates.
When your house was built one can only assume it was built to the code
in effect at that time. With that said, your current wiring is
grandfathered to that configuration if you do no remodeling.
Updating to GFCI outlets is not required. It may be desired by the
potential buyer but it isn't required. If that is all that stands in
the way of the sale...
Gordon Shumway
What color do Smurfs become when they hold their breath?
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Posted by zxcvbob on November 1, 2009, 2:02 pm
Lee B wrote:
>
> (I'm clueless about electricity... actually it sort of scares me, so
> this is all Greek to me).
>
> Question - I'm in the process of selling an older(1950's) home. The home
> inspection was Friday, and I got the buyers' laundry list Saturday
> afternoon. One of the things they are asking for is GFCI's to be
> installed in the bathrooms. (This is in Baltimore County, if that makes
> a difference). I know that I've heard that these are required if a
> bathroom is renovated, but are they required in one that hasn't been?
> The only thing I've done in the past 20+ years to the bathroom was to
> paint, and have a new vanity installed. There is currently a two prong
> outlet near the sink in the hall bath. I saw a couple of sites online
> that says these can be GFI'd, but that they won't have an equipment
> ground (whatever that is).
>
> In the basement bathroom (truly in the basement, not like it's a powder
> room), the only outlet at all is one that is built into an old medicine
> cupboard.
>
> I don't want to lose the sale, and am willing to do what's legally
> requited, but am trying to find out if these are *required* or just
> desirable. The home inspection report just says "recommend bathroom
> electrical outlet be replaced with GFCI type outlet". There are a number
> of other items in the laundry list that to me fall in the "it would be
> nice" category (repair cracked tiles on bathroom wall), but don't affect
> habitability of the house, and I'm trying to figure if it's easier to
> just offer some additional money at settlement and let them have the
> work done themselves. I guess I'll spend the day on the phone tomorrow
> getting estimates.
You're not required to do anything here.
If the switchbox is big enough, you should replace the 2-prong
outlet in the hall bathroom with a GFCI outlet. There will be a
tiny sticker in the box that says "NO EQUIPMENT GROUND" and you
should apply that sticker to the cover plate. All this will cost
you about $8 total and you can do it yourself if you are handy at all.
Let the buyers take care of the basement bath themselves; they will
probably want to pick a different medicine cabinet anyway.
Bob
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Posted by RBM on November 1, 2009, 4:45 pm
> (I'm clueless about electricity... actually it sort of scares me, so this
> is all Greek to me).
> Question - I'm in the process of selling an older(1950's) home. The home
> inspection was Friday, and I got the buyers' laundry list Saturday
> afternoon. One of the things they are asking for is GFCI's to be installed
> in the bathrooms. (This is in Baltimore County, if that makes a
> difference). I know that I've heard that these are required if a bathroom
> is renovated, but are they required in one that hasn't been? The only
> thing I've done in the past 20+ years to the bathroom was to paint, and
> have a new vanity installed. There is currently a two prong outlet near
> the sink in the hall bath. I saw a couple of sites online that says these
> can be GFI'd, but that they won't have an equipment ground (whatever that
> is).
> In the basement bathroom (truly in the basement, not like it's a powder
> room), the only outlet at all is one that is built into an old medicine
> cupboard.
> I don't want to lose the sale, and am willing to do what's legally
> requited, but am trying to find out if these are *required* or just
> desirable. The home inspection report just says "recommend bathroom
> electrical outlet be replaced with GFCI type outlet". There are a number
> of other items in the laundry list that to me fall in the "it would be
> nice" category (repair cracked tiles on bathroom wall), but don't affect
> habitability of the house, and I'm trying to figure if it's easier to just
> offer some additional money at settlement and let them have the work done
> themselves. I guess I'll spend the day on the phone tomorrow getting
> estimates.
These days it's hard to determine "what's required", as your locality pretty
much can require anything they want. Typically, when a house is built, a
certificate of occupancy is issued, and grandfathered unless additional
renovation or expansion to the building is done. In your case, you may not
have grounded wiring, so I would leave any "upgrades" to the new owners. As
far as electrical wiring and National electric code goes, there is not a
stitch of wiring in your house that would comply with current standards, so
why stop at GFCI outlets
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> this is all Greek to me).
> Question - I'm in the process of selling an older(1950's) home. The home
> inspection was Friday, and I got the buyers' laundry list Saturday
> afternoon. One of the things they are asking for is GFCI's to be
> installed in the bathrooms. (This is in Baltimore County, if that makes
> a difference). I know that I've heard that these are required if a
> bathroom is renovated, but are they required in one that hasn't been?
> The only thing I've done in the past 20+ years to the bathroom was to
> paint, and have a new vanity installed. There is currently a two prong
> outlet near the sink in the hall bath. I saw a couple of sites online
> that says these can be GFI'd, but that they won't have an equipment
> ground (whatever that is).
> In the basement bathroom (truly in the basement, not like it's a powder
> room), the only outlet at all is one that is built into an old medicine
> cupboard.
> I don't want to lose the sale, and am willing to do what's legally
> requited, but am trying to find out if these are *required* or just
> desirable. The home inspection report just says "recommend bathroom
> electrical outlet be replaced with GFCI type outlet". There are a number
> of other items in the laundry list that to me fall in the "it would be
> nice" category (repair cracked tiles on bathroom wall), but don't affect
> habitability of the house, and I'm trying to figure if it's easier to
> just offer some additional money at settlement and let them have the
> work done themselves. I guess I'll spend the day on the phone tomorrow
> getting estimates.