[VAC] Re: Water & electric

["Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <geraldj@xxxxxxxx>]

I'm hoping that I can connect the end of a new romex to the old wire and
pull. If the romex has been anchored within 12" of the box per current
NEC rules, I'll not succeed that way. Then I may have to get out the
fish tape to push a path through the insulation and floor spars or up
over the top parallel to wall studs. The main outlet I'm interested in
replacing is the one on the kitchen counter. My dad tapped in there to
run a wire to his electric water heater modification. I want to add an
outlet under the dinette table and plan to make that a GFCI receptacle
and feed the rest of the outlets from there. If I can't get the aluminum
wire replaced, there are receptacles made for aluminum wire. They cost
several times what the standard outlets cost, but can be found. I
already own a couple for that contingency. There is a grease filled with
zinc crystals that also helps aluminum connections but not enough to
allow connecting aluminum to receptacles not rated for aluminum. There
are only two duplex receptacles in the Caravel, one at the sink, the
other in the shower by the toilet.

I think the aluminum wire is a significant problem. Connections are
easily damaged by overloads leading to local heating or worse, loss of
safety ground. There is evidence that normal loads are enough to cause
connection problems. As a consulting electrical engineer, aluminum
wiring problems have made me a buck or two and exposed me to deaths
directly caused by those wiring failures. Bad connections from aluminum
wire to outlets are blamed as sources of many house and mobile home
fires. Mobile homes burn so well its extremely difficult to determine
the ignition source. So I don't like to use aluminum branch circuit
wires where I might get hurt.

The last time I had the Caravel out in cool weather, I dropped a heavy
duty outlet strip into the cabinet under the left from dinette seat, and
ran its cord to the compartment on the left side where the main panel is
and then when I needed shore power for heat, I hooked a heavy duty
extension cord to the outlet strip plug, totally ignoring the
Airstream's wiring. I used 12 volts for lights (there aren't any 120
volt lights) from the battery charged by the truck when towing. I was
camping mostly dry so didn't use any more hot water than I could heat on
the stove.

Gerald J.