When does an electrical repair become an entire system upgrade?

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jpisciotta

Member
Location
Louisiana
Occupation
Home remodeler
I am a licensed home improvement contractor in Louisiana as well as an electrical subcontractor in my home parish. I recently undertook a project (Hurricane Ida) in which the homeowner had a tree smash through her home.

The tree missed all of the electrical and plumbing with the exception of one lighting circuit. This home was built in the early 60's, so of course the wire is aluminum. The house is only 100amp (milbank) overhead service with only a couple lighting and general purpose circuits.

My question is, can I fix the one broken circuit or am I required to upgrade the entire system: replacing wires, devices, and of course the service?
 
Of course you can just fix the problem with the circuit. I have never seen anybody be required to re-wire an entire house because one circuit had a problem.

Btw, welcome to the forum
 
There are wire connectors that are rated for splicing copper conductors to aluminum conductors. So you should be able to trace the one damaged lighting circuit back to its nearest undamaged junction box, then connect your new copper wires for the new lighting circuit to the existing aluminum branch circuit wires in that box.
 
Jon456 said:
There are wire connectors that are rated for splicing copper conductors to aluminum conductors. So you should be able to trace the one damaged lighting circuit back to its nearest undamaged junction box, then connect your new copper wires for the new lighting circuit to the existing aluminum branch circuit wires in that box.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tip Jon.
 
Yes, welcome to the forum.

Yes, repair just the one circuit.

Here, only exceeding a 50% (by floor area) remodel requires a full bring-to-present-code.

I'd be surprised that an early-60s house has aluminum wiring. Early 70s, yes.
 
LarryFine said:
Yes, welcome to the forum.

Yes, repair just the one circuit.

Here, only exceeding a 50% (by floor area) remodel requires a full bring-to-present-code.

I'd be surprised that an early-60s house has aluminum wiring. Early 70s, yes.
Click to expand...
Larry, you're correct. The home was built in 1970.
 
Jpisciotta said:
I recently undertook a project (Hurricane Ida) in which the homeowner had a tree smash through her home.

The tree missed all of the electrical and plumbing with the exception of one lighting circuit.

My question is, can I fix the one broken circuit or am I required to upgrade the entire system: replacing wires, devices, and of course the service?
Click to expand...
Tree goes through house during a huricane. Any water damage?
 
LarryFine said:
Here, only exceeding a 50% (by floor area) remodel requires a full bring-to-present-code.
Click to expand...
On a remodel that's about the same as most jurisdictions here.

This would not be a remodel but storm damage.

On fire or storm damage repair or rebuild if they condemn a property as not safe for habitation they can make life difficult for you trying to do a small repair job.

The only people that can tell you what you are up against is the local authority having jurisdiction becasue they are the one's that will approve whatever repaired needed.
 
I went to a service call one day opened the bank of switches and it was all knob and tube completely baked insulation. As I went through the house opening random devices it was the same. At that point I recommended a full rewire. I mean what are you going to do ?? He had problems all over the place


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
growler said:
On a remodel that's about the same as most jurisdictions here.

This would not be a remodel but storm damage.

On fire or storm damage repair or rebuild if they condemn a property as not safe for habitation they can make life difficult for you trying to do a small repair job.

The only people that can tell you what you are up against is the local authority having jurisdiction becasue they are the one's that will approve whatever repaired needed.
Click to expand...
And in the widespread situation like you typically have with a hurricane they may not allow energizing the service until some AHJ allows it?
 
It depends on the issue. Residential can be a pain as most of the wiring is stapled so even if you want to just replace it all it’s not so easy compared to commercial and industrial where it is not secured in conduits or trays.

It depends on the issue. Customer last week had 3 breakers in a distribution panel. The panel covers are in bad shape. One breaker seized up, one had major lubrication issues, and the third was obviously a bad rebuild job that would never pass factory muster. So in that case an entire mew panel may be cheaper and faster.

You can also run into technological problems. Currently NEC requires retrofitting AFCI on just about everything residential. On older panels an AFCI may not exist. And with current supply shortages prepopulated panels may be a better or more available option.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top