Aluminum branch circuits

[77naws]

Hey guys.

I have had my license now for a year and have had several calls of home inspection reports citing aluminum branch circuits as a safety hazard. Does anyone have anything to offer on this, on how they have handled it or what the code has to say about it. I actually had one report some time ago that the buyer actually wanted the electrician to provide a document certifying the house was safe. In that situation I told them I would have to look at every joint in the house before I could produce anything like that. The customer wasn't happy with the possible cost that would accrue, and I'm sure they just found someone who would give them what they wanted. What would you guys have done in that situation?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Personally I don't loose sleep over alumin. I don't like it but I had a house with alumin. branch circuits and I never had an issue with it. Probably a good idea to check the joints every 5 years or so and make sure they aren't loose. I would probably change the wire from the disco to the furnace & a/c to copper and be done with it.

Others feel very different about this issue but there are hundreds of thousands of homes wired in alum that have no issues. Here is one of the others viewpoint.

 

[kwired]

I would never give a homeowner a document stating the wiring in the home is safe. Even with no aluminum wiring. I would give them a list of items that do not meet current standards, maybe note that some of the standards at time of installation allowed the installation. I would also note that I can not verify the integritiry of what is concealed.

As for aluminum wire I would make a statement about what the potential problems are and some information on why. I will state that just because it is in OK condition now, does not mean it will always be OK. Once an aluminum joint has an increase in resistance, it will deteriorate rapidly even with a relatively small load on it.

Wiring in a building is never "safe", even in a brand new building. Unless you never have the service energized, then it may be. There is always some risk of failure of something, if you give them a document simply stating everything is OK and something fails beyond your control, they can and will drag you into it if there is injury, loss of life or property damage.

 

[charlie b]

I would never give a homeowner a document stating the wiring in the home is safe.

I agree completely. It would be similar to my stating, as a licensed professional engineer, that a project is guaranteed to be successful. You (or I) would be stating what we do not have the ability to know. In my case, it would be a violation of professional ethics to make a statement like that.


The most you can do is to say,

• This is what I looked at,
• This is what I didn't (or couldn't look at),
• This is the method I used to look,
• I found the following safety concerns (if any), and
• I found the following code violations (if any).

 

[77naws]

Thanks guys appreciate the feedback