> ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
>
> On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:19:46 -0600, "k6xyz" <k6xyz@sbcglobal.net>
> wrote:
>
>>That's right Don.....
>>Spend more $$ on the front end and save much more on the back end.
>>I'm pretty sure that aluminum house wiring is illegal most everywhere
>>now....
>
> ------------ REPLY FOLLOWS ------------
>
> Aluminum is by far the commonest metal on the earth's surface, about
> 8% of the total, compared with copper which is less than .01%.
>
> Aluminum house wiring got a bad rap from builders who used it exactly
> like they used copper. I have no doubt that properly engineered,
I think you'll find most wire coming into the meter and from the meter to
the main panel is now Aluminum.
Of course when dealing with 200 AMP plus circuits/feeds the stuff gets
pretty big.
Years ago when electricity was cheap I built an all electric house. When we
were ready to turn on the power for other than the building equipment I
called Consumers Power. The word was, "don't worry about it that
transformer will handle every thing you have. I explained the house could
easily draw 24KW with the heat alone and still received the same bored
explanation. We had a 200 AMP service fed by a 6KW pole pig. We fired up
just 4 of the temporary space heaters that would eventually go in the
basement to heat the upstairs while the plaster dried. ( they were either
4400 or 6 KW each with internal fans) I was getting ready for work when my
dad came in all excited. It was 37 degrees in that new house and no power.
Of course it was afternoon before any one from Consumers came out. I
pointed out the pole transformer was cooked. Same story, Yah...just go turn
off all the stuff in the house...so I went in and threw the mains. He shoved
a new fuse in and was greated by a Zzzzzzaaaap....hmmmmmm followed by a loud
, ZZzzWwwwaappp as he quickly pulled the fuse holder. "I thought you said
you turned off every thing in the house?". "I did, main breaker is out".
"Welllll...In that case the transformer is fried". "Haven't we been down
this road before".
Of course they couldn't get a new transformer out until the next day and
they weren't responsible for any loss even though they had been fully
informed ahead of time. We ended up with two, *big* LP fired salamanders
trying to keep the house from freezing let alone warm it up and dry it out.
<sigh> That was colored plaster in fairly lightcolors. We ended up with
cracks to be fixed and all of the rooms had to be painted due to stained
plaster.
The feed was double ought (00) copper to the 200 amp service. Consumers feed
came in underground. Here we have a 200 AMP service to the house (half that
size) that comes in underground and one to the shop. They are four ought
Aluminum all the way. Man but that stuff was fun to work with. The lug nuts
(super large allen set screws) were lubed and tightened with breaker bars
(pipe!) on the end of the wrenches.
A little electrical information: Back then our rates were on the high side
compared to places like Oregon and Washington. OTOH our total electric bill
including heating was about $90 in the cold part of the Winter. Then there
as a lawsuit about bulk users and preferential rates. They lost and my bill
went from $90 to $270 in one month. (This was around 1970 so $270 was a
*LOT* of money) The next month my electric bill was back to about $60. They
sent some one out to change the meter. I had put in oil fired hot water
with four zones and my total bill was back to about $90.
If there's anything that would keep me out of California besides the
goverment they have it'd be the electric rates out there. I hate to say this
as I know there are people on here paying 30 some cents per hour at peak
demand. My highest rate, which is commercial and on the shop is between 7
and 8 cents per KWH.
> aluminum house wiring can be just as safe as copper and possibly a lot
> cheaper as well. It will require some new technology, but nothing
Actually I don't think it'll require any new technology, just some changes
in procedure and parts.
The technology already exists. Unfortunately there will be some problems
such as outlets that take a specific size wire. The size gets doubled when
using Aluminum for the same rating. Also Aluminum does not work well in a
socket using brass parts holding Aluminum under compression. Wire nuts work
well with Aluminum IF they are designed for it. The wire needs to be
wrapped around itself more, meaning a longer wrap and corresponding longer
wire nut that is capable of holding the Aluminum under tension. Otherwise a
clamp similar to what we use to hold two large copper wires together can be
used scaled down for the aluminum wires. It's a compression fitting that
resembles those fittings where the cables come into the main breaker box.
Of course they cost 10 to 20 times as much as wire nuts.
Those are the two points where most of the fires originated.
This house is pure confusion as to what wires run where. I even found (and
corrected ) two circuits tied together in a remote junction box.
Roger Halstead (K8RI and ARRL 40 year Life Member)
N833R - World's oldest Debonair CD-2
www.rogerhalstead.com
> approaching rocket science. Time will tell.
>
> Bill, W6WRT
>
>
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