713-829-7732 (A+) BBB Rating
with optional 'INFRARED' Thermal Imaging
Home Inspections in Houston, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Atascocita, Katy, Cypress, Tomball, etc...
Houston, TX 77001
ph: 713-829-7732
Rodney
Conroe Home Inspection 'Excellence'
Home Inspection Conroe Texas
Real Estate Inspection Specialist
with INFRARED 'Thermal Imaging' serving....
Conroe Texas
The 'HIGHEST QUALITY'
Home Inspections in:
Conroe and
the "ENTIRE Greater Houston" Area
(Click HERE) for More Information
Conroe Texas is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States. You have made a wise decision to consider Conroe Texas as a place to purchase your new home. For your new home selection of a home inspection company and the right home inspector are key to insuring that your home is built to the current building codes for Conroe Texas and the nation. A high quality home inspector such as Real Estate Inspection Specialist will insure that your home inspection is completed to the highest standards possible and with the highest level of commitment to you, our client. Your next years in Conroe Texas are sure to be some of the best and most rewarding and your property inspection will help insure that. Relocating to Conroe Texas and your selection of us as your home inspection company are sure to be two of the wisest decisions you, as the investor can make for your new or existing home.
Home Inspection Home Inspector Conroe Texas
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
-------------------------------------------------
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Keywords-1:
infrared, thermal imaging,
resnet, bpi, building performance institute, trec, cia, nachi, internachi, tpria, ashi, tarei, icc, international code council, iecc, international energy conservation code, har, association of realtors, remax, prudential, gary greene, coldwell banker, keller Williams, realty associates, exit realty,
Pulte, KB, Kimball Hill, Ashton Woods, Trendmaker, Lennar, Village Builders, Chesmar, Darling, D R Horton, Beazer, David Weekly, Highland, Huntington, Patrick, Partners in Building, Plantation, Ryland, Toll Brothers, Brighton, 3 phase inspection, three phase inspection, 3 phase home inspection, three phase home inspection, 3 phase structural inspection, three phase structural inspection, 3 phase construction inspection, three phase construction inspection, 3 phased inspection, three phased inspection, 3 phased home inspection, three phased home inspection, 3 phased structural inspection, three phased structural inspection, 3 phased construction inspection, three phased construction inspection,
Keywords-2:
infrared, thermal imaging,
resnet, bpi, building performance institute, trec, cia, nachi, internachi, tpria, ashi, tarei, icc, international code council, iecc, international energy conservation code, har, association of realtors, remax, prudential, gary greene, coldwell banker, keller Williams, realty associates, exit realty,
Pulte, KB, Kimball Hill, Ashton Woods, Trendmaker, Lennar, Village Builders, Chesmar, Darling, D R Horton, Beazer, David Weekly, Highland, Huntington, Patrick, Partners in Building, Plantation, Ryland, Toll Brothers, Brighton, 3 phase inspection, three phase inspection, 3 phase home inspection, three phase home inspection, 3 phase structural inspection, three phase structural inspection, 3 phase construction inspection, three phase construction inspection, 3 phased inspection, three phased inspection, 3 phased home inspection, three phased home inspection, 3 phased structural inspection, three phased structural inspection, 3 phased construction inspection, three phased construction inspection,
Keywords-3:
infrared, thermal imaging,
resnet, bpi, building performance institute, trec, cia, nachi, internachi, tpria, ashi, tarei, icc, international code council, iecc, international energy conservation code, har, association of realtors, remax, prudential, gary greene, coldwell banker, keller Williams, realty associates, exit realty,
Pulte, KB, Kimball Hill, Ashton Woods, Trendmaker, Lennar, Village Builders, Chesmar, Darling, D R Horton, Beazer, David Weekly, Highland, Huntington, Patrick, Partners in Building, Plantation, Ryland, Toll Brothers, Brighton,
++++++++++++++++++++++++
ARTICLE of the Month - START
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Inspecting Aluminum Wiring
by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard
Between approximately 1965 and 1973, single-strand (solid) aluminum wiring was sometimes substituted for copper branch-circuit wiring in residential electrical systemsAluminum and copper wiring, with each metal clearly identifiable by its color due to the sudden escalating price of copper. After a decade of use by homeowners and electricians, inherent weaknesses were discovered in the metal that lead to its disuse as a branch wiring material. Aluminum will become defective faster than copper due to certain qualities inherent in the metal. Neglected connections in outlets, switches and light fixtures containing aluminum wiring become increasingly dangerous over time. Poor connections cause wiring to overheat, creating a potential fire hazard. In addition, the presence of single-strand aluminum wiring may void a home’s insurance policies. Inspectors may instruct their clients to talk with their insurance agents about whether the presence of aluminum wiring in their home is a hazard, a defect, and a problem that requires changes to their policy language.
According to the InterNACHI Home Inspection Standards of Practice, a home inspector is required to report upon single-strand, solid conductor aluminum branch-circuit wiring, if observed by the home inspector.
Facts and Figures
On April, 28, 1974, two people were killed in a house fire in Hampton Bays, New York. Fire officials determined that the fire was caused by a faulty aluminum wire connection at an outlet.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), "Homes wired with aluminum wire manufactured before 1972 ['old technology' aluminum wire] are 55 times more likely to have one or more connections reach "Fire Hazard Conditions" than is a home wired with copper."
Aluminum as a Metal
Aluminum possesses certain qualities that, compared with copper, make it an undesirable material as an electrical conductor. These qualities all lead to loose connections, where fire hazards become likely. These qualities are as follows:
higher electrical resistance. Aluminum has a high resistance to electrical current flow, which means that, given the same amperage, aluminum conductors must be of a larger diameter than would be required by copper conductors.
less ductile. Aluminum will fatigue and break down more readily when subjected to bending and other forms of abuse than copper, which is more ductile. Fatigue will cause the wire to break down internally and will increasingly resist electrical current, leading to a buildup of excessive heat.
galvanic corrosion. In the presence of moisture, aluminum will undergo galvanic corrosion when it comes into contact with certain dissimilar metals.
oxidation. Exposure to oxygen in the air causes deterioration to the outer surface of the wire. This process is called oxidation. Aluminum wire is more easily oxidized than copper wire, and the compound formed by this process – aluminum oxide – is less conductive than copper oxide. As time passes, oxidation can deteriorate connections and present a fire hazard.
greater malleability. Aluminum is soft and malleable, meaning it is highly sensitive to compression. After a screw has been over-tightened on aluminum wiring, for instance, the wire will continue to deform or “flow” even after the tightening has ceased. This deformation will create a loose connection and increase electrical resistance in that location.
greater thermal expansion and contraction. Even more than copper, aluminum expands and contracts with changes in temperature. Over time, this process will cause connections between the wire and the device to degrade. For this reason, aluminum wires should never be inserted into the “stab,” “bayonet” or “push-in” type terminations found on the back of many light switches and outlets.
excessive vibration. Electrical current vibrates as it passes through wiring. This vibration is more extreme in aluminum than it is in copper, and, as time passes, it can cause connections to loosen.
Identifying Aluminum Wiring
Aluminum wires are the color of aluminum and are easily discernible from copper and other metals.
Since the early 1970s, wiring-device binding terminals for use with aluminum wire have been marked CO/ALR, which stands for “copper/aluminum revised."
Look for the word "aluminum" or the initials "AL" on the plastic wire jacket. Where wiring is visible, such as in the attic or electrical panel, inspectors can look for printed or embossed letters on the plastic wire jacket. Aluminum wire may have the word "aluminum," or a specific brand name, such as "Kaiser Aluminum," marked on the wire jacket. Where labels are hard to read, a light can be shined along the length of the wire.
When was the house built? Homes built or expanded between 1965 and 1973 are more likely to have aluminum wiring than houses built before or after those years.
Options for Correction
Aluminum wiring should be evaluated by a qualified electrician who is experienced in evaluating and correcting aluminum wiring problems. Not all licensed electricians are properly trained to deal with defective aluminum wiring. The CPSC recommends the following two methods for correction for aluminum wiring:
Rewire the home with copper wire. While this is the most effective method, rewiring is expensive and impractical, in most cases.
Use copalum crimps. The crimp connector repair consists of attaching a piece of copper wire to the existing aluminum wire branch circuit with a specially designed metal sleeve and powered crimping tool. This special connector can be properly installed only with the matching AMP tool. An insulating sleeve is placed around the crimp connector to complete the repair. Although effective, they are expensive (typically around $50 per outlet, switch or light fixture).
Although not recommended by the CPSC as methods of permanent repair for defective aluminum wiring, the following methods may be considered:
application of anti-oxidant paste. This method can be used for wires that are multi-stranded or wires that are too large to be effectively crimped.
pigtailing. This method involves attaching a short piece of copper wire to the aluminum wire with a twist-on connector. the copper wire is connected to the switch, wall outlet or other termination device. This method is only effective if the connections between the aluminum wires and the copper pigtails are extremely reliable. Pigtailing with some types of connectors, even though Underwriters Laboratories might presently list them for the application, can lead to increasing the hazard. Also, beware that pigtailing will increase the number of connections, all of which must be maintained. Aluminum Wiring Repair (AWR), Inc., of Aurora, Colorado, advises that pigtailing can be useful as a temporary repair or in isolated applications, such as the installation of a ceiling fan.
CO/ALR connections. According to the CPSC, these devices cannot be used for all parts of the wiring system, such as ceiling-mounted light fixtures or permanently wired appliances and, as such, CO/ALR connections cannot constitute a complete repair. Also, according to AWR, these connections often loosen over time.
alumiconn. Although AWR believes this method may be an effective temporary fix, they are wary that it has little history, and that they are larger than copper crimps and are often incorrectly applied.
Replace certain failure-prone types of devices and connections with others that are more compatible with aluminum wire.
Remove the ignitable materials from the vicinity of the connections.
In summary, aluminum wiring can be a fire hazard due to inherent qualities of the metal. Inspectors should be capable of identifying this type of wiring.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
ARTICLE of the Month - END
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Home Inspection Home Inspector Conroe Texas
Conroe Links:
Conroe Texas-HoustonFreeHomeSearch
+++++++++++++++++++
Actual Keywords:
home inspection, house inspection, home inspection conroe, house inspection conroe, conroe home inspection, conroe house inspection, real estate inspection conroe, property inspection conroe, home inspections conroe, inspections
home inspection, house inspection, home inspection conroe, house inspection conroe, conroe home inspection, conroe house inspection, real estate inspection conroe, property inspection conroe, home inspections conroe, inspections
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Home Inspector, Home Inspection, Infrared Thermal Imaging, Drone Roof Inspection, Spring Texas, The Woodlands Texas, Conroe Texas, Houston Texas, Kingwood Texas, Atascocita Texas, Cypress Texas, Katy Texas, Magnolia Texas, Tomball Texas
Houston, TX 77001
ph: 713-829-7732
Rodney