If You Don’t Know Building Code, Fixing it Yourself Can Be a Bad Idea

Every week, the detail-oriented folks at Green Scene Home Inspections will give CandysDirt.com readers an education in inspection. Want to see what they see? Tune in for “Upon Closer Inspection.”

As home inspectors, we come across a lot of things in homes that malfunction due to poor maintenance or just age.

But sometimes we find repair issues or malfunctioning equipment that are due to someone — either the homeowner or someone they hired to do the work — having a bad idea

The dryer vent doesn’t quite reach the exterior here. “No big deal,” said the installer. The huge pile of dryer lint in the attic begs to differ.

According to building code, flex pipe cannot be used for a range hood exhaust pipe. The pipe must be rigid and smooth. Grease and other particles can get trapped in the ridges and create a fire hazard. Flex pipe in range hood = bad idea.

You can adjust the temperature on your water heater. “I like REALLY hot baths,” said this homeowner. You can scald skin at over 120 degrees, so 150 is a bad idea.

This DIY electrical genius needs to watch a few more YouTube videos before his next project! (Seriously, using extension cords for wiring is a BAD idea.)