Renovation & Design

Renovation & Design

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Aluminum wiring requires special plug-in receptacles

QUESTION: My home was built in 1978 or 1979. It has aluminum wiring. Lately, I am noticing sparking in different plugs when I plug something in. Is this something to be concerned about. Thank you. Barb Wild

ANSWER: Sometimes when minor sparking is seen in an electrical receptacle it is a result of a lack of use but may also be a sign of excessive corrosion or damage, especially in homes with aluminum wiring. You're right to be concerned and should hire a licensed electrician to evaluate the offending receptacles, or possibly all of the electrical devices in your home, to ensure safety.

Aluminum wiring installed in homes in our area, mainly from the mid sixties to mid seventies, may provide some unique safety challenges for owners. Because your home was built near the end of the common use of aluminum branch wiring, you may have properly rated receptacles, but this should be checked to make sure.

Aluminum wiring has been problematic in many areas because it is very soft, subject to easier damage than copper, and excess oxidation can cause an increase in fire hazards. For these reasons, special devices have been developed for use with aluminum.

The designation CU/AL was stamped or printed on original electrical devices approved for this use. While these are still acceptable for circuit-breakers and many light switches, duplex receptacles with this rating should be upgraded. Many homes were found to have problems with excessive oxidation, overheating and damage at these receptacles.

For that reason, newer devices with the rating of CO/ALR were developed and are required to be used in these areas. The newer receptacles have fasteners with metals that were more compatible with aluminum, reducing the chance of oxidation and overheating.

To determine if your home has the properly rated CO/ALR units, or outdated and potential dangerous CU/AL, you could remove a few cover plates and inspect the receptacles. For safety, this should be done after the circuit-breaker is shut off at the panel. This can be done by plugging in a radio with the volume turned up, and shutting off breakers until the radio becomes quiet.

Removal of the plastic cover plates with a simple screw driver should reveal the top and bottom tabs of the receptacle, where it is secured it to the metal box. Look for stamped printing of the CO/ALR, normally on the top tab. This may be obscured by old paint, dirt or other debris, but use of a flashlight and a dry rag to clean the surface may help you see the imprint.

If it is not present, or CU/AL is seen there or in another location on the unit, repairs or replacement should be done. You should also look for any obvious soot, stains, scorching, discoloured wiring or melting on the receptacle, wiring or surrounding area. If this is seen, immediately discontinue use of this device and call an electrician for further evaluation and repairs.

If you can see the proper designation stamp on the tab and no physical evidence of damage or overheating is visible ,there may be nothing to worry about. Several other receptacles should be inspected to ensure they are also properly rated and not damaged. The ones most prone to overheating are in high-use locations with appliances that draw considerable current. This is often above the kitchen counter where microwaves, toasters and kettles are used or hair dryers in bathrooms.

If they all seem to be in satisfactory condition, you should replace the covers, re-energize the circuits by switching the breaker to the ON position and monitor for ongoing issues. If there is any visible damage or evidence of overheating, particularly on older CU/AL devices, upgrades will be required.

The solution to damaged receptacles or wiring may range from simple replacement of the receptacles with the properly rated devices to removal and replacement of melted wiring. Installation of CO/ALR receptacles may be quite simple, but the cost of these devices is quite a bit higher than regular ones, so upgrading an entire home may be a moderately priced expense.

Because your home has aluminum wiring, which has been known to be problematic, calling a licensed electrician to check all of your receptacles is a wise move. The results of this inspection will either provide a greater sense of security or lead to repairs that may dramatically improve the safety of your electrical system.

Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the President of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors - Manitoba (www.cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be e-mailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca.

trainedeye@iname.com

 

Ari Marantz
April 27

Renovation & Design

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Home's air pressure a delicate matter

QUESTION: I am the owner of a home with a cold, damp basement with no cold air returns. In your Aug 2010 Free Press article you advised that return air ducts will help to reduce the cold and dampness of a basement living area. You did not mention any concerns about creating a negative air pressure that might introduce CO2 into a house. Is this issue real?

Thanks, Garth Drake

ANSWER: Negative air pressure in a home can be quite a complex issue, and have one or more of several causes, but return air ducting in a basement is not likely one of them. We will explore the implications of this phenomenon, discuss some possible reasons it could happen and the correlation to your question about CO2 buildup.

While it may seem like a very technical scientific thing to understand, negative pressure in a home results simply when the air pressure inside the home is lower than that outside the building. This normally occurs when more air is leaving the interior of the living space than is being replenished from outside the building.

While this may happen on occasion due to unusual weather conditions, such as very high winds or severe storms, normally it is caused by mechanical means. Drawing too much air out of the home by use of exhaust fans, dryers, or through the chimneys of wood burning appliances can lead to lower air pressure inside, especially in well sealed homes during the heating season.

The reason that air-pressure differentials are so important in buildings is that severe problems can occur in a few areas if a reasonable balance is not achieved. If there is too high a positive pressure within a structure, a large amount of air leakage can occur into the exterior walls, attic and other components of the building envelope. Within this air is dissolved water vapour, which can wreak havoc if it becomes trapped in these areas. Rot, mould, and major structural damage can occur if this phenomenon goes unchecked for a long period of time.

Conversely, negative air pressure can cause uncomfortable drafts around windows and doors, back-drafting of fireplaces and gas or oil-fired furnaces and water heaters, and poor indoor air quality. This can have major health effects on the occupants of the home, especially if it is strong enough to cause products of combustion to leak into the interior air rather than harmlessly venting outside.

One solution to a negative-pressure situation is to bring in additional air from outside to compensate for the larger volume exiting the living space, no matter the cause. This can be done by installing a fresh-air intake duct into the furnace area or return-air ducting or by installation of a mechanical ventilation system such as an HRV.

Care must be taken to properly install either a passive or mechanical fix, to prevent frost, condensation or a large rise in energy consumption in the heating system. Use of insulated ducting, mechanical dampers, or a properly balanced heat recovery ventilation systems should help prevent this issue.

The largest concern with a building under a negative air pressure condition, is the quality of this air in the indoor environment. To maintain a healthy living space for occupants of any building, the stale indoor air must be exhausted and replaced with fresh air many times a day. This is necessary to reduce odours, excessive moisture, products from heating and cooking appliances, and especially products of human metabolism.

Chief among these indoor pollutants may be carbon dioxide (CO2). As humans and animals breathe, we absorb oxygen from the air and expel CO2 from our lungs. In a primarily closed system, such as the inside of a Canadian home during the heating season, we must actively remove CO2 to prevent poisoning ourselves. While this may be achieved by active use of bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans, too much ventilation can cause the negative pressure issue we are addressing. This is a common problem in some homes with countertop ranges that have powerful integral downdraft kitchen fans.

he good news is that the same cure for equalizing a differential in indoor and outdoor air pressures addresses the air quality issue beautifully. By bringing in additional fresh outside air, not only is the pressure equalized, but the problem of CO2 buildup is eliminated. Whether an HRV is incorporated into the HVAC components of your home, or a simple fresh air intake duct, ensuring an adequate number of "air changes" per hour is the key.

Adding return air ducting and registers to your basement should improve air movement in this area, and throughout the entire home, which can only help increase the warmth and dryness you desire. Anything that moves the air through the home more efficiently will also benefit attempts to maximize air changes, further improving indoor air quality.

This may have minimal affect on pressure differentials or CO2 issues, but adding a fresh air intake into the return air ducting at the same time can dramatically reduce chances that neither will be a future concern.

Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the President of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors - Manitoba (www.cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be e-mailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca.

trainedeye@iname.com

 

Ari Marantz
April 20

Renovation & Design

SOLUTIONS: Be selective when picking a pillow

QUESTION: I have allergies, and I am wondering if you can give me your opinion on the best pillow to buy? Does the pillow make a difference? Jane (Cartwright, Man.)

ANSWER: You are smart to be selective about your pillow choice because if you consider how many hours your face is pressed against the fibres of your pillow, it can definitely aggravate allergy symptoms. Consider purchasing a hypoallergenic synthetic or latex pillow. Another option is to purchase a pillow protector. There are some pillow protectors that are impermeable and even pouring boiling water onto the protector doesn't allow water to absorb into the pillow.

Do your research and study consumer reports before selecting a pillow. Keep in mind that the most expensive pillows don't necessarily have the best consumer rating.

QUESTION: We recently purchased a used trailer. After the purchase and before the possession date, the owner spilt a bottle of air freshener onto the carpet. The carpet now has a small white patch on it. How can I remove this stain? Anonymous (Brandon, Man.)

ANSWER: It sounds as though the carpet is bleached and unfortunately you are not dealing with a stain that needs to be taken out. Instead, you will need to put colour back into the carpet. Because the area is noticeable, but small, you can easily hide the mark. Head over to your nearest paint store with a remnant of the carpet or an item that is the same colour as the carpet. Purchase the smallest available container of latex paint and gently sponge the paint onto the carpet. Remember that paint always dries a few shades lighter, so be sure to colour match before applying the paint.

QUESTION: I am excited to once again create my own hummingbird food and want to share the recipe with your readers. Into my feeder I put one part honey, four parts water and three drops red food colouring. The hummingbirds love it and I love watching them. Bernice (MacGregor, Man.)

ANSWER: I agree, hummingbirds are one of the most exciting and fun birds to watch. I do want to caution you that honey in a hummingbird feeder has the potential to cause sores in birds' mouths. Also, it is not necessary to add red food colouring to the mixture as it has not been satisfactorily tested for safety.

You are definitely on the right track, but substitute honey for plain old white sugar and leave out the red food colouring. Boil the solution for two minutes and cool before pouring it into the feeder. Most manufactured hummingbird feeders are red and this should be enough colour to attract those beautiful birds.

Fabulous tip of the week

-- A rattling ceiling fan is often caused by a moving glass light fixture and can be prevented with a rubber band. To stop the noise, stretch elastic around the neck where the screws go in.

I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Missed a column? Can't remember a solution? Need a speaker for an upcoming event? Check out my brand new videos/blog/website:

www.reena.ca!

Reena Nerbas
April 20