In this series of videos, I will be evaluating aluminum electrical wiring connection burnouts. "Burnout' is a term used by engineers, scientists and electrical contractors when describing an electrical connection that has overheated to the point where it has actually changed the metal, insulating jacket or the connection itself.It refers to anything considered anywhere from small to significant. The burnout can be corrosion of the metal, discoloration of the metal or insulation, melting or bubbling of insulation or outright ignition and fire.I will be particularly handling aluminum wiring connections.As you may understand already, the aluminum wire itself is does not cause fire. It is the connections that do.Several aspects add to these regrettable results:Since aluminum and copper broaden and contract in a different way, getting too hot of aluminum conductors may take place at switches, receptacles, splices, and pigtails. This can cause electrical failure or fire.CreepWhen aluminum conductors undergo a constant tension, the aluminum tends to creep away from the stressed location. The rate of creep will increase with a boost in temperature. The creep will continue until the stress amounts to the supreme strength of the aluminum itself. For that reason when an aluminum conductor is twisted around a screw terminal of a switch or receptacle, the aluminum has a tendency to creep away from the screw, triggering a high resistance termination.Aluminum can "creep", gradually warping under load, ultimately causing gadget connections to loosen, as well as has a different coefficient of thermal growth compared with materials utilized for connections. This speeds up the loosening of connections. These impacts can be decreased using wiring devices approved for usage with aluminum.OxidationAluminum oxides are thin layers that start to form on the surface area of aluminum within a matter of seconds after the bare metal is exposed to the environment. Unlike copper oxides, which are
