AFCI protection for aluminum wiring

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ElectricianJeff

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Southern Illinois
I am working in an home circa 1975 with all branch circuit aluminum wiring that is having some issues. I'm doing all the "usual" fixes and wondering if adding AFCI protection to the circuits would help. This will require a panel upgrade and I don't want to waste the customers money. I searched this forum and found a thread from July 2008 where I believe this idea first came up. The consensus then seemed to be that it wasn't a bad idea.

Now, 5 years later, does this advice still hold true? Here AFCI's are only required in new homes and I hardly ever do a new home and I am not up on current AFCI technology. Any input here would be appreciated.
 
ElectricianJeff said:
I am working in an home circa 1975 with all branch circuit aluminum wiring that is having some issues. I'm doing all the "usual" fixes and wondering if adding AFCI protection to the circuits would help. This will require a panel upgrade and I don't want to waste the customers money. I searched this forum and found a thread from July 2008 where I believe this idea first came up. The consensus then seemed to be that it wasn't a bad idea.

Now, 5 years later, does this advice still hold true? Here AFCI's are only required in new homes and I hardly ever do a new home and I am not up on current AFCI technology. Any input here would be appreciated.
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Current AFCI breakers are not going to trip on poor Al-to-Al or Al-to-device or -to-Cu connections, even the glowing kind. This has become more and more clear in the last 5 years. So the extra protection you might get would be small at best.

It is arguably not a bad idea in general IF you are already going to change out the panel and breakers, but not just because of the presence of Al wiring.
 
GoldDigger said:
Current AFCI breakers are not going to trip on poor Al-to-Al or Al-to-device or -to-Cu connections, even the glowing kind. This has become more and more clear in the last 5 years. So the extra protection you might get would be small at best.

It is arguably not a bad idea in general IF you are already going to change out the panel and breakers, but not just because of the presence of Al wiring.
Click to expand...

I have never heard this phrase. What is the glowing kind?
 
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