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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Electrical Questions >> Aluminium T+E? https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1609954945 Message started by Natedog on Jan 6^th, 2021, 5:42pm

Title: Aluminium T+E?
Post by Natedog on Jan 6^th, 2021, 5:42pm

So while I've been buggering about in the loft I found what should be in a junction box but is just a bit of choc block vaguely covered in tape. I've got some junction boxes left over, so I'll do that before I manage to zap myself.

Some of the cables snap very easily and are a silvery colour, not copper. I'd guess aluminium? Never seen that before.

Title: Re: Aluminium T+E?
Post by Natedog on Jan 6^th, 2021, 5:43pm

[gallery]Natedog/1609954967.jpeg[/gallery]

Don't know if you can see it there, but its the best I could do with my phone

Title: Re: Aluminium T+E?
Post by Lectrician on Jan 6^th, 2021, 7:28pm

Looks like it. Quite rare, used briefly for a very short period. I’ve seen a few lighting circuits in it, never sockets. I’ve also seen copper clad aluminium. Looks like copper, but snaps easily.

Title: Re: Aluminium T+E?
Post by Natedog on Jan 6^th, 2021, 7:31pm

When I was a kid, I vaguely remember there being copper pipe called something like red stripe. It was extra thin due to metal shortages and you could only fit soldered connectors to it, if you tried bending it or using compression fittings it was so thin it would just collapse.

Would this be from the same sort of time? Or is it just cheap crap? 😆

Title: Re: Aluminium T+E?
Post by Natedog on Jan 6^th, 2021, 7:35pm

Oh, and would i be right in thinking that the smart money is on ripping ut out and replacing it with new?

Title: Re: Aluminium T+E?
Post by thescruff on Jan 7^th, 2021, 12:01am

Are you sure the ends haven't been soldered? quite common with copper wire

Title: Re: Aluminium T+E?
Post by woodsmith on Jan 7^th, 2021, 12:59am

Is the house late 60s early 70s? That’s when there was a copper shortage and aluminium was sometimes used. I worked for BT at the time and we used aluminium for a while, it was rubbish and we soon went back to copper.

Title: Re: Aluminium T+E?
Post by Natedog on Jan 7^th, 2021, 9:10am

woodsmith wrote on Jan 7^th, 2021, 12:59am:

1930. Originally didn't have electricity when it was built. Some of the old lead gas pipe for the lighting is still in place downstairs (i must get that pulled out and weighed in!)

It was originally wired with the multi-stranded cable, so I knownits not the original installationg. There are at least 2 bits of major work that I know of since, easily identified by the workmanship. The extension was built and some rewiring done downstairs by my late father-in-law. All of this is very neatly laid out, every cable identified as to what it does and where it runs to. Then there's the upstairs lighting which mostly looks like its the same cable as that pictured. I don't known when that was done though. The words "rats nest" spring to mind 😬

Title: Re: Aluminium T+E?
Post by Natedog on Jan 7^th, 2021, 9:11am

thescruff wrote on Jan 7^th, 2021, 12:01am:

Are you sure the ends haven't been soldered? quite common with copper wire

Silver all the way through and very brittle where it has been in the choc block