PiP w/outlet fire at home due to aluminum wire

[cwerdna]

As an FYI, a new PiP owner on Priuschat had an outlet fire as outlined at http://priuschat.com/threads/need-advic ... re.118751/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

http://priuschat.com/threads/need-advic ... st-1696803" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; is what an electrician found.

Keep in mind the PiP takes only 3 hours to charge from empty to full at 120 volts. I believe the PiP's L1 EVSE pulls 12 amps at max.

[surfingslovak]

What, no gory pics?

[RegGuheert]

Aluminum wiring was used in the 1950s and 1960s for wiring outlets and it turned out to be a bad idea. I've repaired overheating outlets due to aluminum wiring before. Today aluminum wiring is only allowed for larger-gauge wires and special anti-oxidation paste is required for the connections.

Certainly aluminum outlet wiring and EVs do not mix!

[TEG]

Aluminum wiring was used in the 1950s and 1960s for wiring outlets and it turned out to be a bad idea. I've repaired overheating outlets due to aluminum wiring before. Today aluminum wiring is only allowed for larger-gauge wires and special anti-oxidation paste is required for the connections.

Certainly aluminum outlet wiring and EVs do not mix!

Hmm... I think the main (100AMP) lines going to my house are aluminum.
(Although super fat... maybe 1/3 in diameter thick braided.)

Some time after I started charging the LEAF at home I had a problem with voltage drop.
If I charged the car I could see the rest of the house drop to ~50V, and lights would dim, etc.
I called PG&E and after saying it must be a problem with wiring in my house, the finally ran some tests and found that the connection from the main lines to the pole was oxidized. They disconnected my house line, cleaned it off (sanded it down?), re-attached it and all has been working fine since.

I wonder if the noisy charger in my early LEAF could have had anything to do with this.
(Note, house was built in 1949...)

[ebill3]

Aluminum wiring was used in the 1950s and 1960s for wiring outlets and it turned out to be a bad idea. I've repaired overheating outlets due to aluminum wiring before. Today aluminum wiring is only allowed for larger-gauge wires and special anti-oxidation paste is required for the connections.

Certainly aluminum outlet wiring and EVs do not mix!

As I understand the problem with aluminum house wiring, in addition to oxidation, is that aluminum has a high expansion ratio. Gets warm, expands, loosens connections, cools, loose connection is high resistance, heats .......................

[ebill3]

Some may recall that they made pennies out of aluminum in the 1940s. As I recall WWII used so much copper for ammunition and such that they switched a lot of formerly copper items to aluminum for a while.

Picky, picky - No aluminum pennies. The 1943 "white" penny was zinc coated steel. In 1974 the mint proposed and minted some aluminum pennies, but they never got into circulation.

Congress will scream about costs, but will not do anything about it. For example, aluminum pennies and scrapping paper dollars for coins. They mandated dollar coin minting, but refuse to allow doing away with the paper.

[cwerdna]

Further down in that thread, a Priuschatter posted some more links about Al wire in the home. See http://priuschat.com/threads/need-advic ... st-1696900" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

[Nubo]

Some may recall that they made pennies out of aluminum in the 1940s. As I recall WWII used so much copper for ammunition and such that they switched a lot of formerly copper items to aluminum for a while.

Picky, picky - No aluminum pennies. The 1943 "white" penny was zinc coated steel.

Yep, mine's got a bit of rust on it.

[cwerdna]

What, no gory pics?

He supplied one today.

See http://priuschat.com/threads/need-advic ... st-1698918" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

[surfingslovak]

He supplied one today.

Ouch! Time to feed the bit.ly monster again