Buying a FSBO House...those that have gone thru the process... help plz!!!

[waterboy]

Some homes all over the country have aluminum wiring if they were built during a short time in the 1970's. Tulsa was not the exception. The aluminum vibrated loose from the recepticals and switches that were designed for copper wiring. Easy fix. Replace the recepts and switches. Nothing to keep you from buying the house.

[Gaspar]

Our old house has aluminum wiring.  I put copper pigtails on all of the switch and plug connections.  I don't know anything about vibrating, but the aluminum expands and contracts significantly more when heated and cooled.  This makes tight connections more prone to pull loose.  The wire also compresses and is less elastometric.  So over long periods of time connections can wiggle lose. 

This was disclosed when I bought the house so I wend around with a bag of copper pigtails in my tool belt and did every outlet and switch in the house even though there had never been a problem.

[sauerkraut]

Some homes all over the country have aluminum wiring if they were built during a short time in the 1970's. Tulsa was not the exception. The aluminum vibrated loose from the recepticals and switches that were designed for copper wiring. Easy fix. Replace the recepts and switches. Nothing to keep you from buying the house.

That's correct, it was used because it's much cheaper than copper. Most homes with Aluminum wire were from the 1960's and 1970's but there are other years mixed in. They did not figure at the time that aluminum wire would work loose in the connections and cause fires. Check before ya buy!

[nathanm]

Our old house has aluminum wiring.  I put copper pigtails on all of the switch and plug connections.  I don't know anything about vibrating, but the aluminum expands and contracts significantly more when heated and cooled.  This makes tight connections more prone to pull loose.  The wire also compresses and is less elastometric.  So over long periods of time connections can wiggle lose. 

This was disclosed when I bought the house so I wend around with a bag of copper pigtails in my tool belt and did every outlet and switch in the house even though there had never been a problem.

I believe they make connectors on switches and outlets that are rated for aluminum that are supposedly perfectly safe to use directly, so long as you follow the instructions and put anti-corrosion compound on the exposed aluminum wire. I've read, although I have no specific experience with it, that the corrosion was the main issue causing fires. The aluminum would corrode, thus causing high resistance in the electrical connection, thus producing heat followed by fire.

Of course, each and every one of us has an aluminum service entrance cable carrying 60 to 200 amps from the meter to our panel, so it can't be that bad when installed correctly.

[Mike 01Hawk]

Wow, this topic blew up

Well, we had the generic Oklahoma contract reviewed by a lawyer, it was pretty status quo.  We had the contract finalized and signed copies delivered to Guarantee Abstract and our Lender.

We ordered Knox to go out and had the friggen smorgasbord of inspections done.  That really smarted the pocket book, but on the bright side they didn't find anything too bad, in fact most of it was nit pick stuff.

Next on the too do is the check on the lender to make sure they've got an appraisal ordered.  Oh and go over the inspection w/ the sellers to tell them what we'd liked fixed.

So far it seems to be going smoothly.  Closing is June 8th

[Gaspar]

Congrats!   

[sauerkraut]

That's Great. Happy Home Owning!