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PiyoPika566
talk to the hand
Member since 5/05 1436 total posts
Name:
Stephanie
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Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
do you have aluminum wiring in your house? How dangerous is it if you do? Is it a risk most people willing to live with???
any input would be appreciated!
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Posted 10/24/05 4:07 PM  |
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Tah-wee-ZAH
Kisses
Member since 5/05 15952 total posts
Name:
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
It is VERY DANGEROUS and is a ticking timebomb. It was used in the late 60's to late 70's as a way to save money when copper prices went through the roof. Many houses built during that time period have it so beware if you are looking... mostly in Suffolk. It took the industry about ten years to realize it was a major fire hazard. As time goes on the chances of fire get greater.
I just bought a house with aluminum wiring and am spending about 6K to get the entire house rewired.
As soon as the demolition team is done with the kitchens and bathrooms my electrician is coming in on Monday. We are not living there for a few months while work gets done.
When aluminum meets the other metals in the circuit the wire can carrode (sp?). This then causes an arc (or the power jumping across the space between the two wires) and fires start within the walls.
Some say you can "pigtail" the wires but this really isn't recommended anymore.
No electrician, home inspector or insurance adjustor (and we have all three in the family) will ever live in a house with aluminum wiring.
In my case the cost of rewiiring is still worth it because I bought the house for over $200K LESS than the appraisal.
Message edited 10/24/2005 6:25:30 PM.
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| Posted 10/24/05 6:24 PM |
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danielleandscott
My new 71 Super Beetle
Member since 5/05 13476 total posts
Name:
Scott
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
We have some aluminum wiring in our circuit box. I was reading through the home inspection paper work that I got from the inspection team before we went to contract
Scott
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| Posted 10/24/05 7:12 PM |
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PiyoPika566
talk to the hand
Member since 5/05 1436 total posts
Name:
Stephanie
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
Posted by danielleandscott
We have some aluminum wiring in our circuit box. I was reading through the home inspection paper work that I got from the inspection team before we went to contract
Scott
but you bought the house anyways... are you planning on fixing it before moving in?
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| Posted 10/24/05 8:04 PM |
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danielleandscott
My new 71 Super Beetle
Member since 5/05 13476 total posts
Name:
Scott
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
I didnt know it was such a bad thing. I posted this on a Do it yourself web forum and these are the replys I got. The post from Sparky says to leave it alone if you dont have problems with it. He is an electrician
Scott
Click here for post
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| Posted 10/24/05 9:17 PM |
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nrthshgrl
It goes fast. Pay attention.
Member since 7/05 57538 total posts
Name:
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
Ok, Local 3 to the rescue. I just spoke to DH (Local 3 Electrician). He said it's not dangerous. That if you splice copper wire on to aluminum wiring you have to use the gel (as your Sparky guy mentioned).
I asked if it were our house, would he replace it. He said he'd probably change it if he were ripping walls out, but otherwise would leave it. If it was the service (the box), he would think about replacing it so he didn't have to use gel all over the box.
If you have any questions, FM me & I'll ask him.
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| Posted 10/24/05 9:34 PM |
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danielleandscott
My new 71 Super Beetle
Member since 5/05 13476 total posts
Name:
Scott
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
Too bad we arent ripping all the walls out - and in the kitchen where the fuse box is we arent doing any type of construction
Scott
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| Posted 10/25/05 8:51 AM |
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MsG
Should be working
Member since 5/05 2824 total posts
Name:
G
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
I just asked my DH (another electrician) and he said that if you can, get rid of it. Something about expanding and contracting. He also mentioned the gel and some kind of "nut" but only as a second course of action if you can't replace the wiring.
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| Posted 10/25/05 9:22 AM |
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nrthshgrl
It goes fast. Pay attention.
Member since 7/05 57538 total posts
Name:
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
My husband is pretty lazy maybe you should go with Mrs. G's advice 
Mrs G - is he local 3 or an independent contractor?
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| Posted 10/25/05 12:56 PM |
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MsG
Should be working
Member since 5/05 2824 total posts
Name:
G
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
He's local something or other, but not 3. The lame LIRR union - he's a 3rd rail electrician.
ETA: My uncle was a foreman in local 3 - what a great job he had! I begged my DH to let him get him a job, but he didn't want the "favor" 
Message edited 10/25/2005 3:04:01 PM.
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| Posted 10/25/05 3:02 PM |
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Tah-wee-ZAH
Kisses
Member since 5/05 15952 total posts
Name:
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
Posted by MsG
I just asked my DH (another electrician) and he said that if you can, get rid of it. Something about expanding and contracting. He also mentioned the gel and some kind of "nut" but only as a second course of action if you can't replace the wiring.
This is the "pigtailing" I was refering to and yes, to reiterate... no electrician I spoke with... yes, all union, would live in a house with it. I got 6 different recommendations to replace all of it. We negotiated that with the homeowner and we got it taken off the asking price.
Also, my DH's uncle is a retired insurance adjustor in his years in the business he has seen more than a few house fires due to aluminum wiring.
To replace the circuit box it might cost as much as 2K (maybe not... depends upon how many curcuits) and JIMO, 2K is very well worth it for better piece of mind. We'd all be spending that amount of money on something else anyway... that doesn' t even buy that much furniture these days.
It's not a problem for us as we have to gut the kitchen and all baths anyway so many areas will be accessible to run the wires.
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| Posted 10/25/05 6:15 PM |
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PiyoPika566
talk to the hand
Member since 5/05 1436 total posts
Name:
Stephanie
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
don't think we'll be ripping down walls to do this but am planning on fixing the aluminum wiring in the fuse box..
... any idea on how much it would cost? 
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| Posted 10/25/05 8:34 PM |
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Tah-wee-ZAH
Kisses
Member since 5/05 15952 total posts
Name:
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
Posted by PiyoPika566
don't think we'll be ripping down walls to do this but am planning on fixing the aluminum wiring in the fuse box..
... any idea on how much it would cost?
Again, like I said in my previous post, to replace a circuit box/fuse box on average (depending upon the size of the house) is about a $2K job.
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| Posted 10/26/05 9:01 AM |
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lullabella
LIF Adult
Member since 5/05 2246 total posts
Name:
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
Our house is over 100 years old and we have aluminum wiring. We had the box replaced and the wires pigtailed, it cost around $4,000. The thing with aluminum wiring is something as simple as changing a light is now complex and dangerous if you don't know what your doing. We replaced it in some parts of the house as we renovated but have no intentions of gutting the house to replace all of the wiring.
My advice to you is have a professional, licensed electrician do any electrical work. MY DH tried to change a switch and when I had the electrician look at it he said he could have burnt the house down!!!
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| Posted 10/27/05 9:04 AM |
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danielleandscott
My new 71 Super Beetle
Member since 5/05 13476 total posts
Name:
Scott
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Re: Aluminum Wiring - Extremely dangerous?
My father in law has already added some lights in our house that werent there before and he has done all the electrical work himself. There was some shoddy electrical work done in the house in the past though. I cannot afford $4000 right now, but maybe in the future we can update the electric
Scott
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| Posted 10/27/05 9:25 AM |
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