Busting Down Your Door?
Action Tip: Knowing how government works makes it easier to deal with the problems they create.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) recently defended a proposed government ban on gas stoves. In the embedded video she supports her own use of a gas stove and later said, “This is about a decision about what may be sold and regulations in the far future, OK? (Starting at about 4:46 into the video) So everyone, just take the temperature down a little bit. No secret government agency is going to bust down your door and take your gas stove away.” She is probably correct about that but, only because the federal government has a better method to make you comply.
Light Bulbs
Many of my readers will remember that in 2007, President George W. Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act which phased out incandescent lightbulbs. For over a hundred years American homes had been illuminated with incandescent bulbs and I was perfectly happy with them. So, when the government ban was announced, I went out and bought many of them. Over the next few years, I gradually ran out and was forced to replace them with compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). Remember those? They had a spiral or tubular glass top. You were warned that if you accidentally broke one of bulbs they released mercury vapor, a neurotoxin. These new and supposedly better bulbs were considered hazardous waste. The European Union now prohibits the import or manufacture of CFL bulbs. Fortunately, before we all had to have home hazmat suits, LED lights came along. They’re expensive, but at least they aren’t dangerous.
Showers
Have you ever come in from work and wanted to take a long vigorous shower but, the water felt like a trickle? Since 1994 federal law has limited the flow from shower heads to 2.5-gallons per minute. However, many people wanted more water flow. In response, manufacturers produced more luxurious shower fixtures with more than one nozzle. The Obama administration soon amended the regulation to limit the 2.5-gallon flow rule to the entire fixture.
Donald Trump likes a vigorous shower so, when he became president he ordered the 1994 regulation altered. According to the Washington Post, that change meant, “that a shower head with three nozzles could use 7.5 gallons of water per minute.” However, don’t go out and buy a new showerhead, the Biden Administration restored the 1994 regulation.
Toilets
How many times have you pressed the lever on your toilet only to find that the flush did not clear the bowl? You can thank the federal government for that image. The Federal Energy Policy Act of 1992 requires that toilets use a maximum of 1.6 gallons of water to flush. Older toilets used up to seven gallons. Despite the fact that current toilets don’t work well, the industry is experimenting with ultra-low flush and dual flush toilets in order to meet future regulations.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulates the height of your toilet and that those in public locations be the elongated type with an open front.
Washing Machines and Dishwashers
For decades top-loading washing machines were the best and most affordable models. Consumer Reports stated in 1996 that, “given warm enough water and a good detergent, any washing machine will get clothes clean.”
Then in 2007, the Department of Energy required washing machines to use twenty-one percent less energy. Consumer Reports wrote, “For the first time in years we can't call any washer a Best Buy.” This began a death spiral for top-loading machines. Environmentalists prefer front loading-models because they use less water and energy.
Cycles for both washing machines and dishwashers have grown increasingly long. The Competitive Enterprise Institute reported that in the mid-1980s a normal dishwasher cycle was just over an hour. “Now it’s close to three. The Trump administration eliminated two rules and thus allowed dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers to have short cycles and use more energy. However, the Biden Administration reversed the ruling.
From dishwashers, room air conditioners, faucets, and windows, there are many more regulations that restrict what you can have in your home and how you can use it. So, the government won’t bust down your front door to rip out the offending gas stove. They will simply change a rule or two and you’ll not be able to get the old appliance repaired or replaced.
How do you feel about federal government regulation of home appliances? Are they creating a better environment? Is it worth the time and money? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
