Envirotech Electrical Services Inc

ALUMINUM WIRING AND PIGTAILLING

The number 1 defect we find during electrical assessements in homes that have aluminum wiring is Decora receptacles installed directly on the aluminum. Decora devices are not aluminum compatible. THAT MEANS NO CONNECTION POINTS ON THE DECORA DEVICE IS COMPATIBLE WITH ALUMINUM WIRING. AS THE ONE PICTURE SHOWS, 2/3 OF THE JOB DONE PROPERLY, IS STILL NOT 100% DONE PROPERLY.
Pigtailing is required on all termination points of a Decora receptacle to ensure a proper and safe connection. This is the easiest way to ensure the aluminum wiring is safe in your home.

ESA certificates can be supplied to give your insurance company if required, which may reduce the cost of home insurance.

For all your electrical needs.
- EV chargers
- Backup Generators / Generlink transfer switches
- service and panel upgrades
- hot tubs and pools
- renovations
- troubleshooting
- small jobs
Never a charge for quotes. Always free.

When finishing a wall that has the electrical panel, make it big enough to be able to access the entire panel.

I see this more than I like. How are you supposed to work in that panel when you can barely get the screws out with a stubby, and can't get your hand in there to work on the breakers that are covered. 😫🤬🤬

Someone finished a basement apartment. BUT, they were not an electrician. For a trained eye, its not hard to tell. How dangerous is this?

2 main items noted.
- Left side bottom 40A breaker in is a spot that clearly stated on the panel 25A max. This could cause a failure with the electrical panel. Serious fire hazard.
- Right bottom 125A breaker has been added and original 100A removed. However, original aluminum wiring was not upgraded, as it should have been and is only rated for 90A, which the builder has an exclusion for with a 100A breaker installed.
This is putting the homeowner that lives on the main floor and the tenant at risk of fire and serious injury, or worse.

HIRE A LICENSED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. GET THE WORK DONE PROPERLY AND SAFELY.

Not sure where the misunderstanding of NO ALUMINUM is. This Decora receptacle is stamped with the NO ALUMINUM sign. BUT there is aluminum connected to the ground screw. It doesn't say NO ALUMINUM ON BLACK AND WHITE WIRES, BUT THE GROUND IS OK. Unfortunately I see this more often that I should. 2/3 of the job done properly, black and white wires pigtailed. 1/3 incorrect

When the crown molding gets removed and you are surprised that no nails hit the hidden wiring.

Hiding Romex (NMD) wiring behind a crown moulding is not code compliant. Installing BX (armored cable) is. Use the proper cable and you have no worries about damaging it.

It's that simple. A junction box. Cut corners are a safety hazard, regardless of whether it has "worked fine", and "I never have had any issues with it like that". Why not do it right the first time. It might cost you an extra $7 for a box and cover.

Is getting rid of the hazard worth $7?

The never ending stream of serious defects, and hazardous electrical work.

Appt to upgrade this customer to 200A. They just moved in, and had no idea this was done.
- previous owner decided he didn't like the main 100A fuse, so he took parts of the main switch out, tapped into the mains and ran it to an old FPE panel below this. and from that fed back to the fuses on the right side. This would have been done live, as the tag is still on the meter. WOW, just WOW. First time seeing this modification, hope I don't see that again.

We always find the good ones....Original work from 1970's. YES, they cut corners back then also.

During a quote for a service upgrade, we investigating the panel to make sure we have all the details.

Looks like the original electrical contractor back in the 1970's cut corners also. Good thing this didn't settle much, or it would have been a hell of a bang if 150 amp service shorted out.

PVC connector with locknut still originally attached to service conduit, knockout in back of panel too large, and connector doesn't even go into the knockout. Any shifting or settling could have cut those wire and shorted them out.

Why would a landscaping company try to do electrical work.......😳😳🤔🤔🤬🤬

Customer hired a landscaping company to do work. There was electrical work involved with the project. They said they were working with an electrician, but they never saw an electrician onsite. Landscaping company said that the electrician would come by and certify what they have done. It went down hill from there....... They got in over their head and did a midnight move.

This was a large enough project that some thought needed to be put into it. Cables where not buried to proper depth. Some places, I could step on them. No marking tape, cables not in the correct location that the customer requested, way too many wires packed in drilled holes, no real plan on how it was to all connect together 😲. Multiple buildings to be powered, stone features, etc.

TIPS TO HELP
- No landscaping company (or any other non-electrical business) should not be doing any electrical work. If you don't see an electrical contractor onsite, something is wrong
- Electricians cannot certify work themselves, only ESA can certify electrical work
- If you feel there is something wrong, there usually is. STOP the project and ask the proper questions.

All work on this project will need to be redone from scratch with an electrical permit to ensure it's done properly and safely.

Another inspection, another non-compatible device with aluminum wiring......

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If electrical work is unsafe, and we quote to repair it, then it's a hazard and should be repaired.

Just because it's been like that for 20 years does not mean that it's not unsafe.

IT MEANS YOU ARE VERY VERY LUCKY.

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For all your electrical needs.
- EV chargers
- service and panel upgrades
- hot tubs and pools
- Backup Generators and Generlink transfer switches
- renovations
- troubleshooting
- small jobs
Never a charge for quotes. Always free.

SAFETY FIRST

Had a customer wanting a service call as their exterior landscaping/garden lights kept tripping the GFCI receptacle on the front porch. A quick visible inspection and problem solved. We did however install a new GFCI protected receptacle (this was before AFCI was required) beside lighting controls so they could get rid of the extension cord that went to the front porch receptacle.

IT IS NEVER A GOOD IDEA TO PUT A PLUG IN FRONT OF THE DOWNSPOUT. WATER AND ELECTRICAL DO NOT MIX. AT LEAST IT WAS GFCI PROTECTED.

Are the lights throughout your home flickering, when small appliances are being used (furnace, washer, coffee maker, toaster, dishwasher, etc)?

Does it happen frequently, and not just the same light, but throughout the house?
Often, this is a wiring problem. And if it happens throughout your entire home, there is a possibility that the issue is outside at the meter or the street.

We can troubleshoot the issues, have power disconnected by the utility (If required), and safely perform the necessary repairs to remedy the situation.
If it doesn't happen throughout your home, and only an isolated area, it may just be a loose/poor connection at a device.

Pictures below show 2 different customers having the same the issue. Both traced to the meter base. In the first case the bonding jumper from the metal conduit was put under the same lug as the neutral to connect the systems. The lug was either not tightened originally, or became loose over time. We could pull the neutral wire out without touching the lug.

Second customer had been having this issue for a long time, as indicated by the neutral wire almost being melted through.

Repairs made to both, electrical inspections passed and the customers now have no issues with flickering lights

TODAYS LESSON - Aluminum wiring and Decora devices

Decora style devices, while looking much better, are not aluminum compatible.

When we do our electrical inspections for buyers/sellers with many of the realtors we work with, this is one of the most common deficiencies. Homeowners always want to update the visible appearance of their home before putting it on the market. BUT, in doing this they may be creating a safety hazard if installing Decora receptacles and switches.

Often insurance companies are requiring an ESA certificate of compliance to ensure that the updating of aluminum wiring was done properly. We can supply you with this certificate and ensure it's done properly and safely for peace of mind for both sellers and buyers.

Contact us to have your receptacle/switches updated if you have aluminum wiring.

When installing wiring for a new shed/patio/fence lights, or any other devices in your backyard, make sure it's done properly. If you don't know what proper wiring is, that's OK, hire someone that does.

It's great that the wiring is protected coming out of the house, and down to the ground, but why not bury the cable in the ground as it's supposed to be instead of lying on the ground which is a trip hazard and could get run over by equipment/lawnmower, etc. Definitely a safety hazard waiting to happen.

Contact us for a free estimate to have the electrical work you need done properly.

Can we run electrcal wiring without gutting a home? SURE WE CAN!!

While removing all the lathe and plaster in an older home allows for other upgrades such as exterior wall insulation, if it not in your scope, we can cut channels/holes to run wiring, which is less expensive to patch.

Contact us for a free estimate