Solid Conductor Aluminum Wiring

Solid Conductor Aluminum Wiring

Small, solid conductor aluminum wiring, such as 10 gauge, rated 20 amps and 12 gauge rated 15 amps, was used from 1965 to 1974. In 1975, the NEC prohibited the use of solid conductor aluminum wiring.
The main concern with small gauge, solid conductor aluminum wiring is its expansion characteristics when heated. If the wire is in a situation where the amount of current that is being drawn does not heat the wire, there will be no typical aluminum wire related concerns (i.e., if an aluminum wire circuit only serves a lamp and a TV, it will not draw enough current to cause expansion problems). A 15-amp circuit that is serving a lamp and a TV will have a maximum load of only about 3 or 4 amps. This is not nearly enough to cause aluminum wire concerns due to heat.
To determine how much current a circuit is drawing, divide the wattage rating of the lighting and or appliances on the circuit and divide by the voltage. Watts = Amps X Volts so a 100 watt light bulb divided by 120 volts equals .8 amps.
When almost anything is heated, expansion will occur. Materials of different densities will expand at different rates. When an aluminum wire is attached to a steel alloy contact with a similar steel screw, and the contact, screw and wire is heated by the current moving through the circuit, everything expands. During this process, the density of the steel will tend to distort the aluminum wire. When the contact cools, the steel alloy will return to its original size, while the aluminum, which was distorted, will not.
When aluminum is exposed to air, a film of aluminum oxide forms on the metal's surface. The oxide formation causes the wire to loosen under the mounting screws. When the screws are worked loose, the oxidation of the aluminum wire under the screws heat and create a fire hazard.
When there is enough distortion, the aluminum wire will become loose at the contact. It may not appear loose, because it may not come off, as you would expect from a loose wire. The loose aluminum wire may function with micro arcing, which will cause more heat at the contact and make the problem worse. The additional heat causes stress on the wire, and may cause a slight fracture in the run of the wire about 1/8 inch from the contact. This fracture causes additional micro arcing and even more heat. Fractures occur at this point because this is the point of maximum temperature difference or change. When multiple arcing occurs, the potential for excessive heat and possibly a fire may be present.
The apparent solution to the problem would be to remove the aluminum wire from the steel alloy contacts. The original suggestion was to pigtail the aluminum wire with a piece of copper wire and to attach the copper wire onto the steel contact. This would have been acceptable, except for the fact that the aluminum and copper, being dissimilar, corrode due to oxidation when they are in contact with each other.
To help eliminate the problems and concerns, device manufacturers developed switches and outlets designed to receive copper or aluminum. These devices were called co/al devices, however, they were not as effective as the manufacturers had anticipated, and were revised. The revised devices are called co/alr, the "r" meaning revised.
With the co/alr devices, the switch and outlet concerns were addressed, however, there is still a concern with fixtures that are wired directly, such as a chandelier. In most cases, and assuming they are wired correctly and the loads are properly calculated, there should be no problems, because the amount of heat generated by these fixtures is not enough to stress or overload the wire. The concerns are related to situations that are unknown or where the wiring or calculations are incorrect.
AMP Corporation designed a wire crimping tool and system that will provide dependable results with aluminum to copper connections. The crimp is designed to ensure that air does not come between the aluminum and copper. After the connection is crimped, it is covered with a sleeve, which is shrunk around the connection. This process minimizes oxidation at the contact. This is the only system that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has accepted. 1. The CPSC does not recognize any other system or correction as acceptable. This creates legal concerns for anyone who may recommend a different solution. 2. AMP Corporation does not sell the crimping tool; they have patents pending and only allow users to lease the equipment. This limits access for residential or small work, because it is difficult to justify leasing costs for one house. 3. The number of "qualified" electricians that have gone through the AMP training creates further limitations. There are very few electricians in the country that have gone through the training, and most are commercial electricians. Based on this situation, we as home inspectors cannot recommend this as a solution, because most of our clients will not be able to find a qualified electrician in their area. 4. Our posture is to explain the aluminum wire situation so that our client understands the concerns, and recommend a licensed electrician to determine the best action.
The NEC and most jurisdictions recognize twister wire nuts and co-alr device usage. The CPSC has not required the removal of the other two methods from the marketplace. This would suggest that there is insufficient research to ban the use of these products.
ASHI and NAHI standards, as well as the ERC inspection guide require inspectors to report the presence of solid conductor aluminum wire.

Electrical Concerns - Home Inspections

Electrical Concerns

There are many specific deficiencies that may be encountered during the inspection of an electrical system. The following are some of the more common concerns:

• Open or uncovered junction boxes. All junction boxes must be properly covered.
• Exposed wires outside the junction boxes. All terminations of electrical wiring must be made inside an approved and covered junction box.
• Improperly spliced wire. All splicings or connections must be made inside a junction box or panel box. Exception: knob and tube wire that has been soldered and taped. Splices, which are in the panel, are only allowed to extend a wire.
• Improperly wired outlets. Use your receptacle analyzer to check the outlets at the user end. Note any defects, such as reversed polarity, open ground, etc.
• Improperly hung or unsecured electrical wires. Wire must be secured to studs or passed through drilled holes in studs/beams/joists.
• Lack of GFCI control devices. Current lectrical building code does require all exterior, bathroom, kitchen (within 6' of sink), garage, and one basement circuit to be protected by Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters. Check with the authorities in your area for local requirements.
• Improperly stapled wiring. All staples should be an improved type, insulated, and must not dig into or otherwise damage the insulation of the wiring.
• Extension cord wiring. Extension cord wiring is considered temporary, and should never be used as permanent wiring.
• Wiring that rests on heat pipes, heat ducts, or other pipes is prohibited.
• Wiring passing through or over sharp metal objects, fireproofing or heat ducts, must be properly secured/protected to prevent damage.
• Frayed, brittle or fragile wiring insulation or other deterioration that could create a hazard should be replaced.
• Knob and tube style wiring. This is an older (1920's) wiring system which is ungrounded and would not meet electrical code today. Any receptacle or fixture tied to this older wiring is considered unsafe. Evaluate the older 2-slot outlets. Note that these outlets do not provide a third ground slot. Upgrading to 3-slot outlets should be considered, if proper grounds can be installed without a disproportionate amount of work. Knob and tube wiring was the most widely used type in frame buildings until the 1920s and had virtually disappeared by the early 1930s when BX wiring systems replaced it. The dangers of knob and tube wiring lay in a combination of issues of both exposed and concealed systems. Early in the 1900's, the NEC began to recognize the inherent problems with concealment of this type of wiring. They began to require placement of the wires in dry areas only and a separation distance of 5 inches between the wires. Extreme caution should be used when encountering this type of wiring due to its age and very possible damaged or deteriorated insulation.
• Wiring smaller than #6 in size should pass through holes in joists when running perpendicular to them.
• Wires running across the ends of joists need to be fastened to running boards.
• Wiring running across the joists must be installed so that the wire is not at the exposed end of the joist.
• Staples and hangers should be no more than 4½' apart, and no less than 12" from any enclosure or junction box.
• Overcrowded junction boxes. This can be established by determining the number of conductors entering and leaving the junction boxes. Junction boxes are sized in accordance with NEC 370-16. The determination is beyond the scope of a visual home inspection. However, a prudent consultant would note the presence of a large number of circuits in any system. It is not recommended that the covers to the junction boxes are removed for this analysis, however, it is the best way to evaluate older wiring.
• A lack of sufficient outlets. This is typical in older homes and it may not be a problem or a situation that can be enforced.
• Evaluate conditions in closet areas. Check to insure that there is 18 inches of clearance between incandescent lighting fixtures, and 6 inches of clearance between florescent fixtures, and combustible materials. Note any bare or exposed light bulbs that may exist in a closet area.

Most of the items listed above may create serious safety concerns. Others, such as, the lack of a ledger or label, anti corrosive gel or the presence of a low voltage transformer in the panel, may not pose the same urgency.

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All Tech Electric & Contracting LLC: Installing Saunas - check us out first - save thou...: A very hot gift for a very cool lady....or a cool gift for a very hot lady...her 50th b-day and she was TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY...After deliver...

Ceilings Fans help reduce Cooling Bills

Ceiling Fans can help Save Energy During Summer

To enjoy the full cooling effects of a ceiling fan, the fan should have reversible direction switch which is typically found on the center hub where the light fixture may be mounted.
Single-direction fans are generally useful only for cooling.
The air movement from a ceiling fan makes the occupants feel mo...

re comfortable. Ceiling fans cool in the summer by wind chill. In the summer, a ceiling fan makes the air seem as much as eight degrees (Fahrenheit) cooler.

The breeze of a ceiling fan can make a temperature of 78-80 degrees feel like 72, so the air conditioning thermostat can stay set at 78, resulting in a lower electric bill.

Generator Basics/All Tech Elec. & Contracting

Generator Basics
Generators smaller then 4,000 watts are in most instances not capable of powering a home during a power outage because they can not provide the needed power for electrical loads such as motors, well pumps and ventilation blowers on a central heating system.
Home-Generators
A typical home supplied with 200-amp electric service can ...

actually support a load of approximately 45,000 watts (45kW) of electric demand.
Basic Portable Generators
Portable generators are produced in sizes ranging from a few hundred watts to 15,000 watts (15kW).
Basic Standby Generators
A standby generator is a permanently installed generator that is attached to your electrical service panel. Most of the standby generators start automatically and are connected to a large fuel source such as propane or diesel fuel.
Even if you were to purchase a 10,000 to 15,000 watt portable generator you would find it more expensive, difficult to move, noisy, and the fuel consumption will be large.

Typically you will not be able to run you home's central air conditioning system or electric heat pump even with a 15,000 watt portable generator.

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How to Use Home Generators
Most residential generators include portable generators that are designed for temporarily connecting to a home and provide a maximum continuous power output of 7200 watts 30 amps.

Many portable generators will not work and can not be installed to homes with an electric service that are rated at more than 200 amps without installing a special transfer switch and circui...

t combination device that is designed to supply generator power to only a few essential circuits such as lighting and a small refrigerator.
During a power outage, a properly installed generator and transfer switch system allows you to select the combination of loads you want to operate by simply switching breakers in the household circuit panel. his flexibility makes generator sizing relatively straightforward.

Purchase a generator that is powerful enough to run the largest appliances and motors you need during a power outage. You may run other loads in your house by simply turning off the breaker to large usage loads.

If your using a hot water heater, for example, turn off this breaker once the water has been heated, and turn on breakers to other loads you want to operate.
To determine what loads you can support with a portable generator, you must look at both the "running watt" and the "starting watt" requirements of the appliances you want to operate. For example, when your furnace motor first starts up, it will require approximately three times more starting watts for a brief 1 to 2 second period than the running watts needs to operate it for extended periods.

To assist you in determining what loads you can operate on your portable generator, appliance usage tables have been provided with information on running watts and starting watts for common household appliances. In most instances, you will want to purchase a generator with a continuous rating of 4400 watts to 7200 watts.

Electricial Junction Boxes

Electrical Junction Boxes, Fixture Boxes, Receptacle Boxes, Splice Boxes 

One very important component is the box where the wire will be installed. The type and size of the home wiring electrical boxes will depend upon the circuit size, ap

plication and its location.
Box Fill - How many wires you can put in a box? The NEC Code requires wiring to be protected and enclosed when devices such as rece
ptacles, fixtures and switches are being installed. Sometimes it is necessary to junction or splice wires in home wiring electrical boxes. 
When splicing wires, an accessible electrical junction box box is necessary to enclose the spliced wires, thus the trade name is electrical enclosure. 
This list shows various electrical boxes and displays the box name and describes the typical application. 

The most common type of materials that home wiring electrical boxes are made of are: plastic, fiberglass, steel, aluminum and bakealight. The metal boxes come with knock-outs for using conduit such as EMT (electrical metallic tubing) or flex - steel or aluminum.Why don't you see the exact same electrical box at your supplier? The availability of the types of boxes will depend upon which electrical manufacturer or purchasing channel your supplier has a contract with.

Boxes and Wire-Fill

How many wires can be installed into an electrical box will depend on how many Cubic Inches the box has and what size wires are being installed.