bath fan Mechanical permit

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infinity said:
but to require a separate HVAC contractor to perform what amounts to DIY work is somewhat absurd.
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I agree with Bob P.

Many HVAC guys would consider hooking up black to black, white to white, bare to metal is also DIY work and so easy a caveman could do it.

If we expect them not to do 'our' work I don't think we should be doing their work.

Typically we will supply, mount and wire dwelling unit bath fans and the HVAC contractor will vent it.

BTW I don't think cheap plastic flex duct actually meets the mechanical codes.
 
SeanKelly said:
While I'm not crazy about this particular product, it could solve your problem. We use them in Condos down here all the time.
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You might be getting away with a code violation when you use that fan. Bathrooms require either an operable window or a fan vented to the outside of the living space. This fan wouldn't really meet the IRC requirement if the bathroom has no operable window.
 
dSilanskas said:
That is really odd IMO I mean in Massachusetts we install the duct as well as the fan no problems what so ever about not being able to do it hmm
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That is odd as I have worked in MA for about 25 years and have never run duct work for bath fans. :grin:
 
As a practice, we never install the duct work. The only roof penetrations I will make is a mast through an eve. I do not want a call back because it's raining in someones bathroom. No thanks. Hang the fan and wire it up. Leave the rest to the HVAC guys.
 
My contracts state :
EXCLUSIONS:
This proposal does not include concrete, forming, painting, patching, trenching, venting and sealing of roof or wall penetrations.
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electricguy61 said:
This product would not remove moisture from a bathroom, usually a prime consideration for installing a vent.
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I noticed that too. It's good for the stinky but not for a shower.

I'm in Mass and I've vented a few fans but usually I talk the carpenter into cutting the hole in the side of the house and installing the outside vent cap. There isn't always an HVAC guy on the job because many houses here have baseboard heat and no central air conditioning.

If you could find an HVAC guy to come out just to vent a bath fan for anything less $200 he'd better either be a relative or you might want to suspect why he has the time to come over.
 
Greg1707 said:
....If contractors were pulling permits everyday for my type of job there probably would not have been the confusion.
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I would submit that if all the contractors in Alexandria were pulling permits for these types of jobs (as well as everything else they are required to pull), you would not be able to even get a permit in a timely fashion. Instead, you would have long lines at the permit office, insufficient office staff to process those permits, etc, due to the overwhelming number of applications being submitted.:mad:

Talk about confusion! They couldn't handle it ;)
 
Greg1707 said:
If contractors were pulling permits everyday for my type of job there probably would not have been the confusion.
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Greg,
The problem is many contractors don't understand why a permit is important to secure for even the smallest of jobs, it's required to keep the owners insurance insurance coverage whole. When a contractor fails to secure a permit where required, for any size job, he puts the owner at risk, and should something go wrong, the contractor will also have problems.

There is a long list of excuses:

I am Licensed and know what I am doing.

I do the job right, why do I need someone to check it.

The customer does not want a permit.

If I get a permit the job will cost to much, and I will loose work.

The goverment is just making a money grab.

No one else, gets permits for small jobs.

I did an installation, but I think it's a repair, so I don't need a permit.

Inspectors don't really look at the work anyway.

It costs me more to do the paper work then the job is worth.

What am I to do, get a permit, for every stinkin little job.

The list goes on, and on.
 
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I should probably clarify that I would never expect an HVAC to come for the sole purpose of venting a bath vent. When I was working new construction with a different crew, we would wonder (wishful thinking??) why the HVAC crews were not the ones venting the bath vent fans. Sure any EC should be up to the task, but the reality is there are some complex runs at times when you get to a larger home and I have found out over time there are some pretty strict guidelines to the number of bends allowed in a run and length of runs and when you can/can't combine your runs and so on. My least favorite is the half bath in the middle of a floor with solid truss overhead. Throw in a lam beam of two and your lucky if the air makes it halfway out the vent pipe.:rolleyes: One thing I do not do is penetrate a roof. I leave that decision up to job foreman. But back to the OP, to have to pull a separate mechanical permit for a bath vent fan is a little extreme, IMO.
 
360Youth said:
to have to pull a separate mechanical permit for a bath vent fan is a little extreme, IMO.
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It would not look so extreme, if you were the homeowner that had a vent installed, that caused thousands in water, and mold, damage, and exposed the owner, and their family to ongoing health problems.

I have no idea what your insurance covers, but one of the exclusions in our coverage is mold damage, which can cost big bucks to remedy, IMO let the trade with the skill set do it.
 
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satcom said:
It would not look so extreme, if you were the homeowner that had a vent installed, that caused thousands in water, and mold, damage, and exposed the owner, and their family to ongoing health problems.
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I am unclear on how a permit will prevent that. A thorough inspection may detect potential problems, but good solid craftsmanship is the best prevention. (And how many of these inspections will closely look at the penetrations?)

This is not an argument against permitting, but rather for an understanding of what a permit gets you. I think it's likely that someone who pulls a permit where required is more likely, in general, to do good work. Maybe because the know an inspector will check on them and maybe because they're more diligent overall.
 
zbang said:
I am unclear on how a permit will prevent that. A thorough inspection may detect potential problems, but good solid craftsmanship is the best prevention. (And how many of these inspections will closely look at the penetrations?)

This is not an argument against permitting, but rather for an understanding of what a permit gets you. I think it's likely that someone who pulls a permit where required is more likely, in general, to do good work. Maybe because the know an inspector will check on them and maybe because they're more diligent overall.
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A permit cannot prevent it, but I would not want to be defending myself in a court, on a job that went bad, that required a permit, and I din't file for it. What the permit gets, is it keeps the customers insurance whole, and puts you in a better position should the case ever go to court.

How the inspection is done is up to the agency doing it, your obligation is to file for permits when required.
 
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satcom said:
It would not look so extreme, if you were the homeowner that had a vent installed, that caused thousands in water, and mold, damage, and exposed the owner, and their family to ongoing health problems.

I have no idea what your insurance covers, but one of the exclusions in our coverage is mold damage, which can cost big bucks to remedy, IMO let the trade with the skill set do it.
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This just gets us back to whether a separate HVAC contractor should be called in. If the EC is going to do the entire install, then one permit. If AHJ does not allow EC to vent, then separate permit, separate bill.:rolleyes: Besides, I thought this site was the only place for EC to vent. :wink:
 
The way I see it, if your state requires a duct license, then you have two options, sub it out or get a duct license, but I've yet to do either of the two I just mentioned... ;) But if an HVAC guy is on the job I always try and get them to do the ducting...
 
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