----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Multiple recipients of VACList" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 11:30 AM
Subject: [VAC] Re: Water & electric
> I'm hoping that I can connect the end of a new romex to the old wire and
> pull. If the romex has been anchored within 12" of the box per current
> NEC rules, I'll not succeed that way. Then I may have to get out the
> fish tape to push a path through the insulation and floor spars or up
> over the top parallel to wall studs. The main outlet I'm interested in
> replacing is the one on the kitchen counter. My dad tapped in there to
> run a wire to his electric water heater modification. I want to add an
> outlet under the dinette table and plan to make that a GFCI receptacle
> and feed the rest of the outlets from there. If I can't get the aluminum
> wire replaced, there are receptacles made for aluminum wire. They cost
> several times what the standard outlets cost, but can be found. I
> already own a couple for that contingency. There is a grease filled with
> zinc crystals that also helps aluminum connections but not enough to
> allow connecting aluminum to receptacles not rated for aluminum. There
> are only two duplex receptacles in the Caravel, one at the sink, the
> other in the shower by the toilet.
>
> I think the aluminum wire is a significant problem. Connections are
> easily damaged by overloads leading to local heating or worse, loss of
> safety ground. There is evidence that normal loads are enough to cause
> connection problems. As a consulting electrical engineer, aluminum
> wiring problems have made me a buck or two and exposed me to deaths
> directly caused by those wiring failures. Bad connections from aluminum
> wire to outlets are blamed as sources of many house and mobile home
> fires. Mobile homes burn so well its extremely difficult to determine
> the ignition source. So I don't like to use aluminum branch circuit
> wires where I might get hurt.
>
> The last time I had the Caravel out in cool weather, I dropped a heavy
> duty outlet strip into the cabinet under the left from dinette seat, and
> ran its cord to the compartment on the left side where the main panel is
> and then when I needed shore power for heat, I hooked a heavy duty
> extension cord to the outlet strip plug, totally ignoring the
> Airstream's wiring. I used 12 volts for lights (there aren't any 120
> volt lights) from the battery charged by the truck when towing. I was
> camping mostly dry so didn't use any more hot water than I could heat on
> the stove.
>
> Gerald J.
>
>
>
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