Aluminum wire is NOT a fire hazard. The power company uses aluminum wire. It is only a hazard if improperly installed. The fixtures have to be aluminum rated, and you can't mix aluminum and copper.

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

6 ай бұрын

Valid point, but it is hard to put all of that in a headline, thus the full-length explanation in the video.

@allangibson8494

6 ай бұрын

You can mix copper and aluminium - but you need to use bimetallic crimp lugs on all the wires to match the termination material to the wire. Bimetallic crimp lugs have aluminium sleeves welded to copper lugs (usually). The aluminium crimp sleeves are lined with conductive abrasive paste to ensure reliable connection by abrading the oxide layer off the aluminium wire during the crimping process). Most utility connections will be made using these lugs.

@rickhawkins218

Ай бұрын

I suggest if anyone finds that their home has aluminum wire in branch circuits to pay an experienced electrician to replace all of the plugs and switches in the house. He will almost certainly find a couple of areas of concern and repair them and you need never worry about your aluminum wire again.

@bsanchez3563

16 күн бұрын

Also generally try to find the grey/gray haired electrician vs a brand new one perse for they have nore probable experience with al wiring specifically.

@rickhawkins218

16 күн бұрын

@@bsanchez3563 Grey hair- check. Exp with al wire- check.

I'm a proud homeowner of a 1971 single family home built with 70% aluminum 10 gauge wiring. I paid an electrician to upgrade my old small 100 amp panel to 200 amp to give me more space. As a homeowner, I then opened each receptacle, switch light fixture, and junction box then added 3 or 2 wire Alumicon connectors. Using a firearm torque screw driver, I removed the old receptacles, light switches, and wire nuts. Then replaced each one with 12 gauge copper pigtails with Alumincon connector torqued to spec to each freshly cut and stripped Aluminum 10 gauge wire. Cost me about $300 in parts, but did it myself.

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

6 ай бұрын

That was a smart move.

@bsanchez3563

16 күн бұрын

As in copper clad or just 70 percent of the house is built with al wire and they could not stick with it or did not pick and stay consistent for whatever reason?

Good video. RE: tinned copper wire. While it primarily prevents corrosion, its purpose in electrical wiring was due to the ease of soldering. Early Romex was used alongside of knob-and-tube, where k-t was used as the backbone, and the Romex was used for the switch legs. Having the Romex tinned greatly assisted the ability to solder the splices into the k-t primaries. The tinned Romex wouldn’t be oxidized, and the tin acted as flux. 😊Once k-t was phased out, then the tinning of Romex became unnecessary.

@bsanchez3563

16 күн бұрын

What you mean by the bacjbone? Like hidden to make it look like all romex was used? Ie only in wall finished walls contained the k and t or like just from panel to metwer was k and t.. ?

@sigcrazy7

12 күн бұрын

@@bsanchez3563 They used to run two KT conductors across an attic, for example, and then splice in drops for switch loops. The splices were done by stripping insulation and then soldering to the main wire. Hence, there was a backbone with branches leading off of it. A bit like plumbing is sometimes done now.

Wago 222 lever nuts are rated for aluminum, must use their Alu-Plus contact paste as anti-oxidant. Wago 222 lever nuts are way cheaper than AlumiConn.

Ooh man the noticeable modern day issue of the 2014 nec is the sharing a single screw on bus bars with more than one wire per screw.. but maybe I do not know if back in the day or ever if it was perhaps code compliant but regardless I would want to just because I am not certain why but if it is a code thing and for sellable maintaining that status of being easier to sell in future for whomever,. Would personally without even being an inspecter wanna have that addressed. Even if just having hiring someoen else to do so.

Retired master electrician here if installed with all rated devices and torqued properly it is not unsafe. Plus inspecting periodically will eliminate problems with the use of aluminum wire . Plus now you are not allowed to use it on circuits less than #8 which will be on 30 amp circuits.

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

2 ай бұрын

All good points; however, the problem is improper installations and no inspections.

Alum. is still the mainstay for feeder conductors in residential installations and when installed properly is reliable. Branch circuits on the other hand are not, and now not compliant. Years ago I repaired a home that all the branch circuit receptacles where not only wired in alum. but were also terminated into "back stab" terminals. Most of the receptacles in house didn't pass current anymore and had obvious evidence of arching. The fix was to replace them all with spec grade receptacles.

My house was built in 1976 it has aluminum 12/2, or 10/3 branch wiring. I replaced all the connections with Alumiconn connectors installed AFCI/GFCI breakers. My wiring is safer then any copper wiring house a home builder built who use the cheapest unlicensed guys they can find. My inlaw does kitchen cabinets he was on a tract home job. Electrical sub-contractor was a guy the electrical sub picked up at home depot parking lot. He showed the guy how to wire up one house then that guy wired up streets of homes. He said inspector would come around they would distract him showing him other stuff. The wiring was all messed up they were back stabbing outlets also. Tract home builders slap it together they know might only find fraction of the problems.

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

3 ай бұрын

Unfortunately, way too much of this happens.

Very thorough and to the point. Back in 2005 I was helping my stepfather replace all the aluminum wiring with copper, in his 1973 rambler he just brought, as the wiring had burned up at several receptacles and switches, some were overheated to the point of having bare wiring up to and possibly past the point where the cable entered the metal outlet box as the insulation and sheathing melted and burned, dead short, breaker would not reset which was a miracle because the main panel was a 70 amp Zinsco in a bedroom closet to make matters more dangerous. Also we found the light in the hallway controlled by 3 way switches on both ends was wired in a very unsafe manner, power feed into the light box, and two 12/2 AL romex from the light drop down to each switch box, the bare ground was used as one of the travellers and the black and white were the other traveler and common respectively, with the bare travellers resting against the metal switch boxes. We felt because of all the problems and shady workmanship, and having to open some walls anyway to replace the rusty galvanized iron water pipes with PEX, we'd abandon the aluminum and wipe the slate clean with all new copper NM, and a new Siemens 200 amp MLO panel that we relocated in the laundry/utility room, and installed a 100 amp main breaker outside at the meter after Detroit Edison confirmed the line from the pole was good for 100 amps. Quite a project to say the least, but me being 16 at the time found it educational and satisfying.

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

6 ай бұрын

Sounds like you were lucky.

The things we are not told is that copper can be bent several times, and still be strong. Aluminum bent a couple of times makes micro-cracks which either overheat or fracture later. Also, aluminum oxide is a poor conductor. That is why when you retrofit with purple nuts with elastic cones inside (which seem the best idea), you should steel-wool clean the old alum wire before gelling and twisting it together. It is unfortunate that the fixture industry did not choose to make all outlets, switches, etc alum compatible from the start. Even though they cost many times more to buy, they cost the same to make. It is simply a matter of not having a screw bite the wire, with no allowance for expansion. They fit the wire into a cage that flexes, and the screw establishes a spring tension.

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

6 ай бұрын

Good points. Thank you for responding.

I didn't know cannot have two neutral wires in the same lug even if same material. Now I know why they used aluminum wire during this period (because copper prices went sky-high), I first thought it was a fad along with lime green shag carpet. Lots of other good info here.

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

6 ай бұрын

Don't forget Harvest Gold and Avacado appliances.

@Sparky-ww5re

4 ай бұрын

​@@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899ahh... pastels. Good times;) my grandparents had turquoise blue kitchen appliances with chrome handles and knobs, and bath fixtures. The half bath had a lavender pink toilet and sink, and the kitchen appliances were still in good working order when we sold the house in August 2022 after grandma passed away, I don't know if her and grandpa brought the appliances and bath fixtures or if they were already in the house when they brought it in September 1967.

We still had aluminum wire sold in the 80s and 90s

They were still using Aluminum 14 12 and 10 gauge thru the 1980's.

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

5 ай бұрын

New old stock can set on shelves for years, the accepted dates are 1965 to 1975. Nothing says someone could not find an old roll of aluminum wire left over from 1973 and install it in a new build. How ever we have to deal with the 99%.

@drwhoeric

5 ай бұрын

@@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899I had a condo built in 1980 and all the community and the circuits were Aluminum.

@Sparky-ww5re

4 ай бұрын

​@@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899one of me fellow electricians recently rewired a house built in 1982 with about 90% aluminum wiring. He had never in his 22 years in the trade seen a 1980s home with aluminum, where aluminum was found it had always been mid 60s to early 70s, where he worked and lived anyway.

structures built before 1965 and after 1975 are free of aluminum wiring? Did NEC forbid AL wiring after 1975?

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

6 ай бұрын

I don't believe it was banned by the NEC. As the war ended and the problems with aluminum single strand wire became apparent, many municipalities banned the use of aluminum, and the bad reputation took care of the rest. Current aluminum wire is made with a different alloy composition and is considered safe. However, the bad experience from before has suppressed its use.

@wrightmf

6 ай бұрын

@@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899 I mentioned this video to another electrician, he said after 1975 NEC banned aluminum wiring. He also said using wire nuts of AL to CU, the AL will expand and shrink due to heat and cool, eventually becoming loose, causing an arc, and fire. AL wiring sounded like a good idea at the time along with asbestos.

@everythinghomerepair1747

5 ай бұрын

No, not necessarily. I have found aluminum in a house as late as 1981. The entire decade of the 70s should be questioned and possibly early 80s houses. I have also seen many houses from the early 70s wired in entirely copper so the only way to know is to actually look by opening up the panel and then a few outlets in a room original to the house.

Alumicons on 15/20amp alumium circuits, and add afci breakers - usually fixes the issues. On larger circuits, there is no issue

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

5 ай бұрын

Good advice, I would recommend AFCI/GFCI breakers as they are both required almost everywhere.

@Phil-D83

5 ай бұрын

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899 even if they are not required, use them anyways

Aluminum wire is not a fire hazard. A fire hazard may be caused by any conductor when installed in a manner that is not approved by the NEC. Most commonly when it is terminated in a device not listed tor that conductor.

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

5 ай бұрын

Current aluminum alloys are considered safe if used in AL-rated devices.

Wire nuts? What year is this from?

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

6 ай бұрын

The ad is from Home Depot, and the package says UL approved.

Best conductor is Gold!! Second best is Silver.

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

5 ай бұрын

And $$$$$$ is why we use copper and aluminum.

Aluminum wire is used every day. It's not the wire that is the problem. Its the idiots installing aluminum wire improperly.

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

6 ай бұрын

Stranded aluminum was never the problem. Just #12 and #10 single strand.

@rickhawkins218

Ай бұрын

​@@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899 The problem was with the installation. I used to service 3 highrise condos with aluminum tw75 pulled into conduit. If the connections were solid and the wire stripped with a knife not strippers there were not many problems. Noalox is your friend.

Yea everything up to your house is aluminum.. if you use aluminum wire youre just supposed to use that dielectric goo to stop oxidation

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

6 ай бұрын

Goo is no longer required.

So you say that stabbing two (2) copper nuetral wires into the same Nuetral lug is not allowed, please direct me the paragraph in the NEC (NFPA 70) code that specifically does not allow that. We do this all the time in industry and no one has ever called us out on this one. Aloha...................

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

6 ай бұрын

408.41 Grounded Conductor Terminations. Each grounded conductor shall terminate within the panelboard in an individual terminal that is not also used for another conductor.

Lol. Literally everything is made of aluminum now days.

@hawleyhomeinspectionsllc2899

5 ай бұрын

Even pick up trucks.