[VAC] Re: Aluminum Wiring

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

I know of both fires and deaths from bad connections in aluminum wires
in branch circuits and mains that I have personally investigated and
proven in court. One death was caused by a saw with a damaged cord that
shorted to ground, blowing both the fuse feeding the circuit and the
safety ground aluminum wire connection. The next time it shorted after
the fuse was replaced it killed the user. Fires were caused more by
heating than arcing.

In the 60s only main panel breakers were supplied with connections
suitable for aluminum and copper wires, no outlets or switches were made
for aluminum wires.

I prefer to think of the grease as a connection compound not a
dielectric compound because it is conductive.

The complicated part of replacing aluminum wiring with copper is getting
the wire into place from point A to point B. The connections are simple.
Gerald J.