Re: Aluminum Wire
ken,
you would be suprised how many homes are wired with aluminum wire. it sounds like you have a combination of 1) a very poor installation. 2) the use of aluminum wire.
the loose wire on the terminal, was probibly tight at one time, but due to load-no load conditions causing expansion and contraction--the terminations gets loose. and then it like a dog chasing it's tail-- gets hotter-expands more-looser--hotter--etc.. i have worked in project homes where the entire area was wired in aluminum. biggest problem was the appliance circuit receptacles -- the installer "backwired" the receptacles and the homes were about ten years old. the combination of load and pressure caused the spring connection incorporated in the receptacle to cut through the number ten aluminum wire. the outlet would just stop working -- sometime due to the neutral wire and sometimes the hot. when you removed the receptacle the cut aluminum wire would be looking you in the face!! now if the installer would have terminated these outlets under the receptacle screws -- who knows(?) how long the installation would have lasted? on the other hand, i have heard of home inspectors telling people that aluminum wire is against the code and must be replaced before a home can be sold. an old widow, who lived and raised her family in this same home with aluminum wire, and never had a problem, payed a contractor over $5000.00 to replace the aluminum wire with copper..... this was a woman who could not afford this expense. i do not use aluminum wire -- but i have also been in the infrared scanning business since 1989, and have found my share of bad aluminum connections--but also copper-----when it's not terminated right or undersized for the load it feeds.