Risks Of Aluminum Wiring

Posted by Rafael Obrien on Dec 11, 2010 in Buying Real Estate, Houses | 0 comments

When buying a new one, it is always a good idea to have a home inspection, and make sure that your new home is safe. One of the important things that home inspectors can usually find is electrical problems.

There are many factors that determine the risk level of a facility with aluminum wiring. Its always a good idea to have a trained inspector to conduct a full inspection of the facilitys electrical system. Exposure to electrical failure will increase during attempts in repairing these facilities.

Such hazards should be reduced as much as possible. It all starts with familiarizing the properties of the aluminum conductors and also the manufacturing changes. While outdated compounds have their risks, the new ones come with their own threats to safety.

Aluminum alloys belong in the 1000 series category. These are about the same as pure aluminum. When copper is added as the major alloying element, it belongs in the 2000 series and when manganese is used, it belongs in the 3000 series. Zinc, magnesium, silicon and a combination of the last two elements have other series designations.

Oxidation is one of the most known problems when employing aluminum wiring. An oxide layer with a high electrical resistance quickly develops on the conductor. Oxidation involves the formation of a barrier on the conductors surface. Any additional oxygen is blocked and therefore, further oxidation is hindered. However, during its use in the electrical distribution, the main reason why this is problematic is the electrical resistance of the oxide layer. It is quite high, especially in environments where the temperature is also high. In turn, the aluminum oxide behaves like an electrical insulator.

The issue with oxidation worsens when fretting corrosion occurs. The compound formed by the interaction of the aluminum with other metals is affected by corrosion and erosion problems. This results to oxidation and a high electrical resistance.

Like all materials, failure will result soon after the aluminum wiring is used for a long time. Once a splice or termination is made with the conductors, there is a disturbance with the oxidation layer and this permits ample current flow. The electrical resistance of the connection will gradually increase when the layer reforms.

This behavior is affected by the rise in temperature that results to thermal expansion. This occurrence also contributes to fretting corrosion and loosens up the connection. With the elevation of the temperature, the insulation covering the conductors is damaged. Thus, there is a fault to the receptacle box or grounded enclosure as with contact with other conductors.

There are still many industrial facilities that use massive aluminum conductors for the electrical distribution. Even with all the risks involved, the application determines the susceptibility to failure. That is why an informed and thorough inspection of these materials is very important.

Waldron Electric experts explain aluminum SEC’s fire danger. Proper wiring is very important whether buying a home in Potomac Maryland, or a Richmond Virginia Foreclosure.