Aluminum wiring

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Home Wiring Safety Tips

Electrical Safety Foundation  recommends that homeowners have their homes electrically inspected, particularly if:

* The home is 40 or more years old
* The home is 10 or more years old that has had major renovation, an addition or major new appliance
* New owner of a previously owned home

The following are some of the signs of home wiring electrical hazards:

* Power outages circuit breakers that frequently trip or fuses that often need replacement
* Dim and/or flickering lights
* Arcs and sparks flashes of light or shower of sparks anywhere in your electrical system
* Sizzles and buzzes unusual sounds from your electrical system
* Overheating overheated wires can give off an odor of hot insulation; switch plates or receptacle covers are hot to the touch or discolored from heat buildup
* Electrical shock's, any shock, even a mild tingle, may be warning of an electrical danger
* Overrated panel electrical panels with fuses or circuit breakers rated at higher currents than the capacity of their branch circuits.
* Damaged wire insulation cut, broken or cracked insulation

If you observe any of these signs in your home, call in a licensed electrician to inspect its wiring.

 

Aluminum Wiring Safety Recommendations For  In Homes

Aluminum wiring..The following  is an  excerpt from the original Consumer Safety Commission report over 30 yrs old . Aluminum wiring was Very dangerous then, and it is EXTREMELY dangerous now. If you are considering buying a house with aluminum wiring (mainly built between 1965 &1975) , you really should have it looked at by a qualified licensed electrician, not just a home inspector who usually isn't qualified to judge the safety of the installation. If you presently own a house with aluminum wiring and you notice any of the symptoms listed below contact us for a free consultation.

 

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public AffairsWashington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
June 1974 
Release # 74-040
 

CPSC Safety Recommendations For Aluminum Wiring In Homes

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 1974) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission held four days of fact-finding hearings on March 27 and 28 in Washington, D.C., and on April 17 and 18 in Los Angeles, California, to seek information about possible hazards associated with the use of aluminum in home electrical wiring systems.

The Commission has received numerous reports about home fires that have been attributed to the use of aluminum conductors in branch circuits. Many of these fires have been the result of overheated terminals involving aluminum wiring and a receptacle or switch.

The Commission currently is evaluating the data presented at the hearings by consumers and representatives of industry and government and conducting additional tests at the National Bureau of Standards to better understand the failure mechanism. Further action by the Commission is dependent upon a finding that aluminum wiring is either a substantial product hazard or poses an unreasonable risk of injury to consumers.

An estimated two million homes and mobile homes have been constructed using aluminum wiring since 1965.

To assist consumers who live in homes with aluminum wiring to reduce the potential risk of fire and the possibility of dangerous overheating, the Commission suggests the following precautionary steps.

CONSUMERS WHO HAVE NOT HAD THOROUGH ELECTRICAL TRAINING SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO INSPECT THEIR HOME WIRING SYSTEM OR MAKE ANY ELECTRICAL REPAIRS OR ADJUSTMENTS BEFORE SEEKING EXPERT ADVICE. SERIOUS OR FATAL ELECTRIC SHOCK COULD RESULT.

 
  1. If you are not certain or if you do not know whether your home is wired completely with aluminum, ask a knowledgeable electrician or other qualified individual to make the determination. If aluminum wiring was used, have the electrician or individual check the connections on heavily loaded and constantly loaded circuits to determine if the electrical connections have been made properly or show evidence of deterioration.

     
  2. Trouble signals associated with aluminum wiring problems include:

     
    * warm switch or receptacle face plates.
    * strange or distinctive odor or the smell of burning plastic in the vicinity of a receptacle or switch.
    * flickering of lights not traceable to appliances or obvious external causes.

     
    IF THESE TROUBLE SIGNALS ARE PRESENT IN YOUR HOME, SEEK EXPERT ADVICE IMMEDIATELY.

     
  3. If it is necessary to replace wall switches and receptacle outlets, only devices which are designed specifically for use with aluminum wiring should be used. These devices are labeled CO/ALR on the mounting strap.

    Proper installation of the CO/ALR device is critical. The work should be performed only by a qualified electrician or individual familiar with the techniques of using aluminum wiring. Proper techniques include the ability to remove the wire insulation without nicking the wire, to wrap the wire with proper distance and direction around the terminal screw, to tighten the screw with the proper torque, and to position the wires within the outlet box to avoid loosening the terminal connection. Complete installation procedures are available at no cost by writing to Aluminum Wire Installations, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207.

     
  4. Pigtailing. A technique called pigtailing is sometimes used to improve aluminum wiring connections. Pigtailing involves connecting a short piece of insulated copper wire between the aluminum wire and the switch or receptacle connecting terminals. Although this technique may be an acceptable practice for new installations, the addition of more wires and splices into existing outlet boxes is not generally recommended.

     


 

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