The connection between the aluminum wire going to the house (Power company) and the copper wire going into the house (home owner) at the breaker box became loose, due to fifty years of operation and an overloaded main circuit (we only had 100 amps going into the house - we've since upgraded) and it caught fire. The house itself didn't burn down (thank God), but it easily could have.From asking my electrician and reading other Answers here, it seems that having Aluminum wire outside the house is pretty common - it is a bunch cheaper than copper.But aluminum wire has been implicated in a lot of fires and seems to have been the cause of this one.Do power companies really use aluminum wire the majority of the time? Is this (usually) safe? Do I have reason to raise a stink, or should I just let it go?
Aluminum wire did cause trouble such as you describe when it first came into use. Special fittings and termination practices have now rendered it safe to use. - You probably had the old fittings. Utilities like it for the cost, and lighter weight which is especially good for long overhead service entry runs. That fire may have been caused only by 'thermal cycle creep', and not by any overload. The problem was first attributed to overloading. The overheating of the connections looks the same until you know what to look for.
Normal Service entrance conductors for residential wiring is aluminum. If you looked it up in the NEC you be able to get the rating and size wire required for the particular amperage that you need. The biggest problem with Al wire are the terminations if they are not rated for al then the difference between the two types of material can cause different heating and cooling ratios which well cause the connection to get loose and when current flows across the loose connection that well create lots of heat and arcing which can cause a fire. Even internal wiring in pre 1975 homes may have AL conductores run throughout the house, but these are safe also as long as no has changed the devices that they are attached to when replacing a receptacle that's wired with AL wire make sure the device is rated for AL wire usally stamped AL/CU which is good for AL or copper. and they make special wire nuts to connect AL wire to copper wire if your device doesn't state AL/CU. You can use copper wire for your service but at a higher cost and you most likely well have to use conduit to run the copper in a very expensive job.
OKAY, Here it goes: Electrical companies do use aluminum wires all the time, even to feed your house. Their responsibility ENDS at the house knob. Your responsibility begins there. Now, it normal for us to use aluminum wires as the raiser. The problem with aluminum wire is oxidization. The main contributing factor to this is a loose connection. That aluminum wire HAS to be so tight that you'll think that the lug is going to break. One thing that we are suppose to do is apply acreme called No Lox. It is especially made for aluminum wires to help prevent this oxidation process. We make it standard procedure for every raiser we put in, to go back 2 months after the job is finished to tighten the lugs again. It is NOT required. Just good business. Now, when we used aluminum wires as BRANCH wiring, YEA there were a lot of fires because of this. The main feed and branch wiring is different. In time, we learned. Do you have a leg to stand on when it comes to legal matters? I am not a lawyer, so answering that question is not an option for me. Good Luck!
Don't make a stink. Power companies typically use aluminum. There is nothing wrong with aluminum as long as the Termination or Lug that it is connected to is made for Aluminum not copper. Believe me, the power company is using the correct lugs. The other answerer does not know what he is talking about. The problem is that aluminum attached to copper causes corrosion. It is called Galvanic corrosion. Look it up. That causes the fires. Not the use of aluminum. Use the correct lugs and there is no corrosion.
