Changing outlets
Has anyone changed their regular AC outlets to the ones that also include USB outlets? If so what brand and how do you like them?
Forum Discussion
DrewE wrote:
The bigger problem with aluminum wiring I think was corrosion due to dissimilar metals.
The problem was different expansion rates of aluminum and the brass/steel screw terminals and a phenomena called creep. Aluminum wire would warm up under load and expand. Load would be turned off and wire would cool, leaving a looser connection and with repeated cycling over time a point coulbe be reached when the connection was bad enough to really overheat and ....
They changed things so when aluminum wire is used, receptacles and switches, breakers and wire nuts had to be designed for use with aluminum and be marked Cu/Al. Many homes with aluminum wiring had recept's and switches rewired with a copper pigtail and a Cu/Al wire nut. My mom (in her 80s at the time) used to have a house like that and the insurance co. refused to renew her insurance unless she rewired the whole house with copper. The electrical inspector had no issue with the aluminum. We changed insurance companies and had no trouble with them. Some people who should know about this stuff don't.
Aluminum wire is common in heavy gauges for feeders and large equip. Nothing wrong with it as long as correctly installed. It's often used because it's cheaper.
