Smart Moves Home Inspections, LLC
Bethlehem, Pa
Smart Moves Home Inspections, LLC
Residential Home Inspections
My Blog
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 8:43 AM |
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, fires
and even deaths have been reported to have been caused by this hazard. Problems
due to aluminum wiring expansion, or arcing at the aluminum wiring connectors,
can cause overheating at connections between the wire and
devices (switches and outlets) or at aluminum wire splices. The connections can become hot enough
to start a fire without ever tripping a circuit breaker! CPSC research shows that "homes wired with aluminum wire manufactured before 1972 are 55 times more
likely to have one or more connections reach "Fire Hazard Conditions"
than are homes wired with copper. "Post 1972" aluminum wire is also a concern. Introduction of the aluminum wire
"alloys" in 1972 time frame did not solve most of the connection failure problems. Aluminum wiring is still permitted and used for certain
applications, including residential service entrance wiring and
single-purpose higher amperage circuits such as 240V air conditioning or
electric range
circuits. The fire risk from single purpose circuits is much less than
for branch circuits. But it's not necessarily because of a "new alloy" as some folks
assert. It's because there are
enormously fewer connections (four or six rather than 30 or 40 per
circuit) and thus statistically a smaller chance of a connection
failure. These connections do still
burn up, as indicated by field reports. How to Repair Aluminum Electrical Wiring to Reduce the Hazards - Repair Alternatives & Choices Once the initial steps above have been addressed here are the choices for safe repair of aluminum wiring: Re-wire the Building replacing all aluminum branch circuit wiring with copper, as a "best repair method" for aluminum wiring, OR as a
next-best aluminum wiring repair method Use the special AMP (now TYCO) COPALUM connector and special tool to
connect short copper wires to every aluminum wire end in the building, reconnecting the copper to the
various devices (outlets, switches, lights) and splices.
This "copper pigtailing" procedure is performed by an electrician trained
and licensed by AMP or TYCO to use this COPALUM procedure.
The TYCO COPALUM connector method is described
is described at PIGTAILING USING AMP "COPALUM" CONNECTORS.
Typically this approach costs about half that of completely re-wiring a home with copper. |
Categories: Safety
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