Does anyone know about aluminum wiring for the electrical systems.

I have had aluminum wire feeding my free-standing range for over 25 years with no problems, but now I am concerned that it still could be a problem if it is connected to a copper screw at the breaker box or the outlet behind the stove.

Could this cause a fire or should I have the wire replaced with copper wire?

The wire has no visible markings of what size it is but I would guess #6 wire.

The breaker box and stove outlet have been there since day one. I am not an electrician and could use an opinion.

Thank you Tina

(My concern came from some new reports on TV about home fires.)

Reply to
Tina
Loading thread data ...

with no problems, but now I am concerned that it still could be a problem if it is connected to a copper screw at the breaker box or the outlet behin d the stove.

t an electrician and could use an opinion.

If the terminals on the circuit breaker and the stove are rated for aluminu m wire you should be okay as long as all connections are tight. Loose conn ections cause arcing which generates heat and sparks.

The circuit breaker should have a label on it with CUAL or ALCU or somethin g similar. The stove wiring diagram or a label at the power connection sho uld indicate the same thing.

If the stove is not rated for aluminum wire, you can install a surface moun t range receptacle on the wire, and mount it on the wall very low. Then co nnect a range cord to the stove and plug that into the range receptacle. Ma ke sure that the range receptacle is rated for aluminum wire (They usually are). Range receptacles and cords come in 3 wire and 4 wire versions. F our wire is preferred, but if you only have a three wire cable coming out o f the wall, go with a 3 wire range receptacle and cord.

The circuit breaker can be replaced with one rated for copper and aluminum.

John Grabowski

formatting link

Reply to
John G

If they have been there for 40 years without a problem DON'T TOUCH THEM. My house , built in 1974, has all aluminum wiring and I'm not worried. The screws are not copper anyway - sometimes they are brass, but more often plated steel. I switched all my devices to co-ALR devices last year - except for the Range and the Drier

Reply to
clare

The range WILL already have an outlet for the stove to plug into. AFAIK Aluminum wiring was NEVER used "direct connected" to a stove - at least not within code.

Reply to
clare

ars with no problems, but now I am concerned that it still could be a probl em if it is connected to a copper screw at the breaker box or the outlet be hind the stove.

not an electrician and could use an opinion.

inum wire you should be okay as long as all connections are tight. Loose c onnections cause arcing which generates heat and sparks.

hing similar. The stove wiring diagram or a label at the power connection should indicate the same thing.

ount range receptacle on the wire, and mount it on the wall very low. Then connect a range cord to the stove and plug that into the range receptacle. Make sure that the range receptacle is rated for aluminum wire (They usual ly are). Range receptacles and cords come in 3 wire and 4 wire versions. Four wire is preferred, but if you only have a three wire cable coming ou t of the wall, go with a 3 wire range receptacle and cord.

There are several hundred condos and townhomes in my area built in the 1980 's. All of the ranges were hardwired with either #6 or #8 aluminum service entrance cable. Some with 3 wire and some with 4 wire. I get a few calls a year to change them to plug and receptacle when the range gets replaced.

John Grabowski

formatting link

Reply to
John G

"John G" wrote in message

Reply to
Robert Green

I'd still inspect them, especially in an older home. One of the hot feeders from the meter had corroded after about 40 years. Thermal contraction and expansion, mechanical vibration and condensation all take their toll. Not sure what caused the initial probem - circuit box mounted on inside cinderblock wall of unheated basement area so I suspect condensation.

Once an AL connection starts arcing the process proceeds much more quickly than it does with CU wire, AFAIK. But K sometimes means "knew" and not "know." (-:

Is/was your installation pure AL or copper-clad?

Reply to
Robert Green

Is that where you dry the herb?

Reply to
Tekkie?

All second generation solid aluminum.

Reply to
clare

If you used aluminium instead of aloominum it might work better :-)

Reply to
James Wilkinson Sword

ars with no problems, but now I am concerned that it still could be a probl em if it is connected to a copper screw at the breaker box or the outlet be hind the stove.

not an electrician and could use an opinion.

inum wire you should be okay as long as all connections are tight. Loose c onnections cause arcing which generates heat and sparks.

hing similar. The stove wiring diagram or a label at the power connection should indicate the same thing.

ount range receptacle on the wire, and mount it on the wall very low. Then connect a range cord to the stove and plug that into the range receptacle. Make sure that the range receptacle is rated for aluminum wire (They usual ly are). Range receptacles and cords come in 3 wire and 4 wire versions. Four wire is preferred, but if you only have a three wire cable coming ou t of the wall, go with a 3 wire range receptacle and cord.

John

Many electric stoves were built, tested and listed by a recognized electric al testing laboratory, sold, and installed with connection blocks which wer e listed for both copper and aluminum conductors. The reason that the lugs are seldom used for connections of cables is the requirements for ease of servicing and cleaning in many residential codes which in turn dictate the use of cord and plug connections for kitchen ranges. In those areas where such residential codes are not adopted it is very common to see the cable c onnected directly to the range. With built in counter cook tops and ovens it is rare to see cord and plug connections used because of the increased c ost of the additional parts and the additional labor that would be required for installation. As long as the connections are listed and or labeled fo r both Copper & Aluminum conductors there is no issue.

One of the factors which led to a lot of direct connection of Aluminum cond uctors to ranges was an exception in prior editions of the National Electri c Code (NEC) in the USA which permitted the range's non current carrying co nductive parts; such as the frame and metal case; to be bonded to the neutr al of the supply circuit in lieu of requiring a separate equipment groundin g conductor provided that the circuit originated in the Service Equipment. Since the neutral would only carry a rather small current during normal op eration it was thought that the voltage drop would be low enough to avoid a ny hazardous difference of potential between the range and adjacent grounde d surfaces such as refrigerators, metal sinks, other electrical appliances, and so forth. This exception may have originated during world war two as a materials conservation measure. Experience with it showed that although problems were quite rare any high resistance connection or open in the neut ral to the Ranges and Clothes Driers installed under this exception created an extremely dangerous condition. As a result the exception now applies o nly to extensions of the original circuits and the installation of replacem ent appliances. Thousands of these installations will be around for decade s.

Reply to
Tom Horne

Built in and "stand alone" are totally different - a built-in doesn't get moved

Here in Ontario "range plugs" and "drier plugs" have been required for at least 45 years.It is in my 1969 copy of the ontario electrical code in the 1969 ontario supplement section 26 subsection 106.This became a CODE REQUIREMENT in 1969 in Ontario. I am not sure if it became a code requirement Canada wide at that time or not. ( I remember quite a few details frim that time period as I worked with/for my Dad who was an electrician in Ontario during those years, before starting my apprenticeship as an auto mechanic)- and I have both 1966 and 1969 code books, all these years later - - - This is about the same time aluminum wiring became popular and problems with aa-1350 wire started to surface. Requiring a plug-in "cord connected" installation reduced problems caused by flexing 1350 aluminaum conductors.

Reply to
clare

I bet those range and dryer plugs were 3 prong on 1969. It was 1996 when the NEC finally decided the war was over and eliminated using the neutral as the ground. It was not actually because of any particular body count, it was just to standardize grounding practices. The ironic thing was, if these were wired with Romex, it usually included a ground along with the 3 insulated conductors since 3 wire without ground was not really very common. The ONLY 2 wire w/g that was allowed was SE cable and only if it was coming from the main panel with the main bonding jumper (no subs) The typical installation was the white neutral going to the grounded terminal on the receptacle and the grounding conductor went to the box so conversion to the 4 conductor plug is trivial. Some idiots just cut the ground off.

Reply to
gfretwell

and

You are correct. I believe Ontario started requiring 4 wire plugs in the early '90s but I'm not sure, as I was out of the electrical bus by that time and my Dad had retired. by 1990.

Correct - virtually all stove and drier cable was 3 wire plus ground

- although there WAS some 2 wire plus ground used since there was no neutral required on a strictly 240 volt appliance. It was the 120 volt clocks and lights that screwed things up, requiring a neutral. European 240 volt appliances did not require the neutral because the controls ran off a transformer connected to the 240 volt power.

Reply to
clare

I was amazed when I found out that the timer and motor in a dryer was

120v. Since these are purpose built for the dryer application I assumed they would be 240v.
Reply to
gfretwell

You'd think - and with today's solid state controls you'd think they'd just run the transformer off the 240 too - but nope - it's all on the 120 too.

Even on the stuff made by European and Asian companies - so they are not "world market"

Reply to
clare

I bet these days the electronics use a wide mouth switcher supply and don't care about voltage

Reply to
gfretwell

You'd lose the bet. I just scrapped out a Samsung washer due to a broken drum spider, and the electronics run off one side of the 240 - That was mabee 6 years old.

Reply to
clare

That doesn't mean the card would not run on 240

Reply to
gfretwell

There is a transformer that says 125 volts on it, si I'm pretty sure the "magic smoke" would be released at 240V.

Reply to
clare

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.