On 19/03/17 05:31, Colonel Edmund J. Burke wrote:
On 3/18/2017 11:28 AM, Tina wrote:
I have had aluminum wire feeding my free-standing range for over 25
years with no problems, but now I am concerned that it still could be a
problem if it is connected to a copper screw at the breaker box or the
outlet behind the stove.

Could this cause a fire or should I have the wire replaced with copper
wire?


Are "free-standing" ranges healthier for food storage, more so than
regular ranges?

Do you store food in a range? He calls it a stove later.

Steel has to be cadmium-plated if it comes into contact with aluminum,
but I haven't heard of a mix of aluminum and copper. The problem is
that the two metals set up a miniature electric cell. The Web says yes,
you will have a problem:

http://www.finishing.com/78/97.shtml

The result looks pretty dreadful.

A liquid must be present to be an electrolyte. I wouldn't expect
condensation in your situation, but I am a Ham, not an electrician,
on the other side of the world.

A stove has a heavy current drain. Copper is more conductive than
aluminum, and may make a difference. The terminal bar in the breaker
box may be brass, an alloy. The screw could get pretty hot, but to
cause a fire, there must be something flammable nearby. What do your
local wiring regulations require? A man with solar panels wanted to tap
the 12 volt feed for low-voltage use in his house. He was told it was
against the regulations. He thought he would be O.K. What they didn't
tell him was that non-regulation wiring could void his homeowners'
insurance. You need to check that out as well.

HTH,

Doug.