Old wires. Copper or aluminum?

[bforeman]

The wires to this service are the old style. Two wire system with the old dark insulation that looks like it needs to be tossed out, but I'm sure it does the job just fine. The wire itself looks like aluminum but there are scratches that look like copper underneath. Is this copper-clad aluminum or just aluminum? This was just an electrical inspection and I didn't see any knob and tube. Sorry about the pics, that's all I got. What do you think?

[Gerry Beaumont]

Hi Brian,

you'll never see aluminum wire with that woven style of insullation, 99.9% of single strand aluminum wire has thermo plastic insullation.

Regards

Gerry

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by gbeaumont

99.9% of single strand aluminum wire has thermo plastic insullation.

Regards

Gerry

Like this....
aluminum.jpg

Aluminum will not have cloth insulation. Another helpful tip is... the neutrals are aluminum also.

[Joe D. Funderburk]

Tin-clad copper. Not a problem.

[William R. DeVries, CMHI]

zinc coated copper, it is ok i did a house a few weeks ago and the sparky said it was fine.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Can I ask a stupid question like;

What the hell is piled up on the bottom of that panel in picture 2?

Can't help on the question though, sorry. ha. ha.

Marcel

[James F. McKee]

what Joe and Bill said...any of those Hornets alive ?????