The door opener would be unable to operate as intended… which is to operate the door without first entering the structure to energize the system.
Jeff, I don’t see that as a defect, an inconvenience perhaps. Can you expand on why this is a defect. Isn’t this similar to a light outside a door that has not been turned on before you left the house and now the sidewalk or doorway is dark?
Your not a home inspector.
Wouldn’t you want that defect noted?
I don’t see it as a defect. This is no more of a defect than having a switched receptacle in the living room and I want the table light in the other corner.
Your opinion that you are entitled to.
I guarantee you this… the first rainy or snowy or freezing day the new homeowner has to get out of their car to flip the switch so they can pull in, I will be getting a call demanding I pay for repairs (if I didn’t report it as a defect).
It may not be a “Code” defect, or a “Safety” defect, but it is not operating as indended in the eyes of the average homeowner (expectations).
It will, and does, get called out everytime in my report.
Oh… as for the light that is turned off… no different than if the bulb burned out. I can still walk to the door in the dark, so the walkway still operates as intended.
Then I guess you should have the lock removed on the door so that the door will open when the button is pushed.
Locks are typically removed and/or disabled when openers are installed, the exception being on DYI installed.
Well I hope you can see that most people would like to know about before they pull up to the garage and the remote doesn’t work.
Don’t get hung up on the word defect.
We don’t tend to use the words “stupid installation”.
Jim are you salesman or were you a salesman because you ask questions like one. They are loaded questions or rhetorical questions which are logical fallacies. They are annoying and a poor way to teach, debate or get your point across.
No Juan, I was neither. I do however have no tolerance for stupidity that our society seems to be all to willing to embrace.
Please put my on your ignore list.
What about the 6’ rule?
Is an outlet in the ceiling that can not be reached required when it is dedicated to one job?
Just notify the client that they should not rely on access to the house through the garage, and keep their keys with them.
Ever need light in the garage to re-set crap? Sometimes garage door lights are the only light source.
I think we are getting into Forrest Gump AHJ policy sometimes…
Stupid is…
I’m still here, and there was no such thing as GFCI when I was growing up.
Goes hand-in-hand with GFCI in laundry rooms at the sink but not <6’ away on another wall because it is not a bathroom.
Anyone know what “potentially wet conditions” is about?
Just kidding…
In Port St. Lucie, FL we don’t want to see locking mechanisms removed or disabled.
When a major high wind event with likely power outages occurs we disconnect the electric auto OHD opener and secure the door with manual locking mechanisms.
Great points, Juan!
I stepped away for a bit, but decided to come back to the party…
I agree with Mr. Port on this. I would not report this condition as a defect, and to do so (IMHO) is without warrant.
The GFCI device cannot be located on the ceiling because it is required to be “accessible.” Having to get a ladder to reset the device makes it “inaccessible” as far as I am concerned.
If the concern is with regard to accessing the garage in the event the device has tripped, a keyed manual-release can be installed on the exterior of the vehicle door.
In addition, I have never seen a door where the locking hardware had been removed because an automatic opener had been installed. In fact, I have seen many cases where the door and/or its hardware had been damaged due to operation of the opener while the door is locked. Removing the locking hardware sounds like a good idea, but it just doesn’t happen much in my areas of service.
I am not an electrician, and I don’t claim to be an authority by any means, but based on my research, education and experience I am of the belief that when a GFCI device trips, it’s doing its job. Although I have heard of “nuisance tripping,” I have never been offered any valid data/documentation/proof that this actually occurs except when there is an actual fault.
New devices are much better but the ones in homes I had in the early '80s were certainly prone to nuisance tripping.
Did you even measure to see if there was actual leakage and the GFI was doing its job?
Thanks Jeff.
The NEC would also consider a GFI mounted on the ceiling to be not readily accessible as required.
I think that it would depend on the height of the ceiling or the height of the inspector. I can barely test and reset a GFCI receptacle if the ceiling is 8’ or less with my finger.