Aluminum wire in a fuse box?

Jim Prudhomme · 12-11-2007, 09:41 PM

I usually do not see any aluminum wire in the ole style screw in type fuse boxes. In fact, I ran across my first one today. The home was built in 1968. Really late for a fuse box (based on what I usually see). All of the lower branch circuits/fuses had AL wire connected. I wondered if there is any known issue with this. The panel was fairly clean otherwise. The outlets and switches all appeared to be AL compatable.

There has been two other inspections on the property and the buyers backed out. Wish I had Ms. Roudolf (sorry for the Richard Prior reference) to tell me what was listed to scare away the other buyers.

Any comment would be appreciated.

Jim Prudhomme

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**Alton Darty** · 12-12-2007, 04:54 AM

I've seen fuse boxes in later structures in my other line of work. Around here a ton of folks will tear down & salvage out anything that they can use. Take this stuff and build a "new" home. I've even heard a couple of 'em bragging about how they built and bought nothing new except maybe shingles.
As far as the al wire in a fuse box, I'm not sure that any of those connections would be approved for AL wire, seems that the use of AL wire in branch circuits didn't come in until after fuse boxes had just about been phased out. There probably are some fuse boxes that were rated for AL wiring, but I can't recall seeing any, if these don't bear a legend stating that they are approved for AL I would suspect that they aren't.
Oh yeah, my other line of work for the last 20 something years has been with the local fire department. I see fuse boxes and the bad decisions that often go with them all the time.

Jim Prudhomme · 12-12-2007, 07:20 AM

I thought about that too. When I process the report today I am going to include those comments.

Alton, I get calls for inspection work across the river sometimes. Since I "used to have" enough work in Memphis to keep me busy to capacity, I didn't get an ARK license. I'll send folks your way. Please send me your contact info if you go down into West Memphis.

Funny thing, I have another one on that same street this morning. Hell, I was at another house across the street two weeks ago. Small world.

**Gunnar Alquist** · 12-12-2007, 01:56 PM

Jim,

Not to insult you, but are you sure it is aluminum and not tinned copper? I often see tinned copper in old fuse boxes. There is a recent post about this.

**Jerry Peck** · 12-12-2007, 04:09 PM

Gunnar,

I doubt they've used tinned copper since the 1940s or 50s when rubber insulation went out and thermoplastic insulation came in. That was built in 1968.