"Jag Man" wrote
While preparing for painting in the laundry room I decided it
was a good time to replace the 36 year old, ceiling mounted,
drum style lighting fixture. When I unscrewed the base from the
ceiling and was preparing to remove the twist connectors
I was shocked (not electrically, but emotionally) when they
fell off in my hand. Probably due to heat, the aluminum wiring
had corroded completely through. Looking at the wire more closely,
I see other places where the insulation has baked and flaked off,
exposing bare wire. These are 14 gauge aluminum in Romex
style cable.

Obviously, that wire has got to go. At the least I will have to get
into the
attic and cut the Romex back from the fixture box and install another
box so I can splice in a new copper wire to feed into the fixture box.
Probably should look for some high temperature rated wire while
I'm at it.

Or, I could go one step further: Splice new copper to the cable
going down to the light switch, and then back up to the fixture box.
That would be a lot harder, as the switch is in an outside wall
at the edge of a fairly low pitched roof, making working room
extremely tight... laying on my belly in rock-wool insulation. But,
it would get rid of a bit more of the aluminum.

Comments? Suggestions?

TIA

No electrical knowledge here, except to know not to stick a fork in a live
electrical socket. That said, I was on a job rennovation once where the
electrician was cussing at some unknown electricians which had years ago
wired aluminum to copper without putting this _compound?_ on the wires. The
wires _oxidized?_ and caused insulation to be bare. He said they were
supposed to put this compound when wiring aluminum & copper together. Maybe
someone can help you out on what this is. I'm not sure of the technical
terms are, in any case, I plead temporary insanity.