Aluminum Wiring Fix

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Safety fella...Safety.......the HI's who use "UP TO CODE" are always asking for trouble...

[Mike Whitt]

Originally Posted by pabernathy

If I spent every part of my time making sure my NEC posts met all possible local things....and every state I would simply go mad.

Go??????????
I though that you were already there!!!! lol

[whandley]

Originally Posted by pabernathy

Greg.....I disagree...the GFI built into all AFCI's now aid in this problem and cutler hammer for example DOES protect against series arcs in the level 2 of the protection......and before the end of the year it will be in combination as well.

GFI does offer an element of protection that is part of all AFCI's that are produced right now and it is only going to be more advanced by the 2008 deadline.

Cutler Hammer has also introduced the Ul Classified versions of many other brands that are compatible right now and they do offer GFI protection within them.....others will follow AND just because you have Series issues is it NOT possible that branch parrallel issues could not also be an issue....then AFCI's are an added level of protection as well.

Do you for a second believe if the client is going to spend the money to upgrade the panel beyond FPE that they are going to spend the extra 6-10,000 dollars in whole house rewiring.......if we are working on a level of some protection is better than none.....AFCI's do offer a level of protection as well as a fully functional OCPD and so on....and even many now have AFCI and GFCI built in with the 5 MA status.......

I know for a fact by the end of the year the AFCI for Cutler Hammer ( and the UL Classified ) models will be compliant and meet combination standards....but AFCI's right now do work on series arcs at the branch level.....

Probably not a complete re-wire but maybe this as an option:

http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/516.pdf

http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml03/03120.html

I include both links in an inspection report where AL branch wiring is present.

[Paul W. Abernathy]

Originally Posted by Mike Whitt

Go??????????
I though that you were already there!!!! lol

lol....Mike.....I hear ya......the NEC makes it happen as it burns the brain cells...

[Peter W. Bennett]

Does anyone know who manufactured "Ameriflex" and is it AL wiring? The home I inspected two days ago had a conductor in the attic that I could not phyisically get to for a closer examination.
Thanks, Peter

[Greg Fretwell]

When I read the CPSC articles I always wonder how much AMP/Tyco paid for that bribe ... opps, "lobbying effort".
CPSC is a political organization not a nationally recognized testing lab.
These are the same people who brought us the 1974 "seatbelt interlock" that prevented your car from starting

[tdietrich1]

The CPSC, helped me get my furnace replaced by informing the manufacturer of their responsiblities.

So not a political organization.

tom

[Greg Fretwell]

From CPSC.GOV

Q.Who heads CPSC?A. </B>The agency is headed by three commissioners nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate for staggered seven-year terms. The President designates one of the commissioners as Chairman

Sounds pretty "political" to me.