Property inspection note on electrical panel

[Jaguar Fan]

I just had a property inspector inspect my house (I'm selling it). His report says the following regarding the main distribution panel on the exterior of the building:

"IMPROVE: Multi-strand aluminum conductors in the main panel do not have an anti-oxidation compound protecting it at the terminal screws. We recommend that this anti-oxidation compound be applied to the end of the conductor where it connects to the terminal screw to help preent oxidation resulting in poor connections"

To those of you who know about such things, what do you think? Is this an issue, or is the property inspector just nit-picking? The house is about 17 years old, and is a custom home. Would this have been the responsibility of the electrician who wired the house, or of the utility company?

Is this the type of repair I should have a licensed electrician do because it is in the main panel, or is this something that I can do assuming I'm careful? Is this type of anti-oxidation compound something I can get at Home Depot?

 

[bimmer1980]

yes, this is a critical item to have done. I'm suspecting this in on the incoming power to the panel?

Basically, overtime, the aluminum corrodes (oxidizes) and can loosen up under the lugs. when you have a loose connection, you can the potential for the wire to heat up or arc and possibily have a fire.

I recommend you get an electrician in to do this if you are not familiar or comfortable working on panel.. You may even need to have the meter pulled so that you are not working on a live feed.

Some of the electricians on here probably have more advise on actually getting it done.........

 

[dmw56]

I heard of some houses having to replace all the aluminum wiring, you got off easy.

 

[walrus]

There is nothing in the NEC that requires anti oxidation compound, there may be manufactures instructions that require it . I'd tell him to pound sand and show me where its required or go HD and get a squirt bottle of it and squirt some on the connections. Of course it will do no good but..

I just had a property inspector inspect my house (I'm selling it). His report says the following regarding the main distribution panel on the exterior of the building:

"IMPROVE: Multi-strand aluminum conductors in the main panel do not have an anti-oxidation compound protecting it at the terminal screws. We recommend that this anti-oxidation compound be applied to the end of the conductor where it connects to the terminal screw to help preent oxidation resulting in poor connections"

To those of you who know about such things, what do you think? Is this an issue, or is the property inspector just nit-picking? The house is about 17 years old, and is a custom home. Would this have been the responsibility of the electrician who wired the house, or of the utility company?

Is this the type of repair I should have a licensed electrician do because it is in the main panel, or is this something that I can do assuming I'm careful? Is this type of anti-oxidation compound something I can get at Home Depot?

 

[Ironcrow]

I don't think it is required, but is good workmanship. In this case, it is so inexpensive and easy to apply (at the visible connections) I'd just do it. Save the sand pounding for something worth the effort.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I don't think it is required, but is good workmanship. In this case, it is so inexpensive and easy to apply (at the visible connections) I'd just do it. Save the sand pounding for something worth the effort.

Not that easy to apply (correctly) as each connection would have to have the set screw loosened or removed, the wire pulled out of the lug, the paste applied (and many recommend using an aluminum wire brush to work the paste into the wire) remember the cable will be distorted as it has already been torqued down previously, and the whole thing put back together and properly retorqued (using a torque wrench).

Charles

 

[belvedere]

There is nothing in the NEC that requires anti oxidation compound, there may be manufactures instructions that require it . I'd tell him to pound sand and show me where its required

A home inspector is not an AHJ. He doesn't tell you what's "required". He is paid to give his opinion of the property.

 

[Jaguar Fan]

Not that easy to apply (correctly) as each connection would have to have the set screw loosened or removed, the wire pulled out of the lug, the paste applied (and many recommend using an aluminum wire brush to work the paste into the wire) remember the cable will be distorted as it has already been torqued down previously, and the whole thing put back together and properly retorqued (using a torque wrench).

Charles

Hi Charles,

It sounds like to do this correctly I should get a licensed electrician. In your opinion, is this something any licensed electrician should be able to do?

 

[mrb]

I heard of some houses having to replace all the aluminum wiring, you got off easy.

different kind of aluminum wiring.


i would tell the inspector to shove it. (as long as the connections appear to be in good shape) he is just trying to find stuff wrong.

By removing and reinstalling these old connections you could be opening a can of worms. A lug, bus, or plastic could break when retorquing resulting in having to replace the panel.

 

[Ironcrow]

Well, maybe my answer is distorted because I 1) know how to do it, 2) have fresh wire on hand to make it easier, 3) have the goo on hand as well, 4) also have the torque wrench, and 5) have plastic parts and even whole panels around if I broke something.

Of course, its not really relevant because if I did the job, it would already have the goo on it

So, never mind

 

[Mickey O]

There is nothing in the NEC that requires anti oxidation compound, there may be manufactures instructions that require it . I'd tell him to pound sand and show me where its required or go HD and get a squirt bottle of it and squirt some on the connections. Of course it will do no good but..

If the manufactures instructions require it then the NEC requires it.

 

[walrus]

A home inspector is not an AHJ. He doesn't tell you what's "required". He is paid to give his opinion of the property.

Yes, that why I'd tell him to shove it. If the connections he could see weren't done, what about the ones he couldn't see. If they weren't done in the panel, you suppose they were done inside the meter trim?

Not that easy to apply (correctly) as each connection would have to have the set screw loosened or removed, the wire pulled out of the lug, the paste applied (and many recommend using an aluminum wire brush to work the paste into the wire) remember the cable will be distorted as it has already been torqued down previously, and the whole thing put back together and properly retorqued (using a torque wrench).

Charles

In order to do this I'd say you have to cut off the part that was in the connector and reinstall. I doubt you could get an acurate torque on a crushed piece of cable

If the manufactures instructions require it then the NEC requires it.

Thats why I said it

 

[belvedere]

Yes, that why I'd tell him to shove it. If the connections he could see weren't done, what about the ones he couldn't see. If they weren't done in the panel, you suppose they were done inside the meter trim?

But, see, you don't have to tell him anything. He gives you a written copy of his report, and leaves. End of story. He's not like a city building inspector who comes back to see if changes were made.

 

[Keep]

Wow...some of the responses here amaze me.

From what I understand its a safety issue. Loose connection=fire.

He is trying to sell the house. If I was in the market and was purchasing and seen the owner basically said "I didn't take the inspectors advise on that" I would turn around and walk away.

 

[notquitegto]

I agree with Keep!

He's trying to sell the house. Now, that inspector's report is ammo for negotiation. The buyer could make stipulations on the sale depending on the offer you originally accepted. See what they buyers say. They may say they want it fixed prior to closing. At that point, you could fix it or tell them to pound the proverbial sand. It all depends on how strongly the buyers feel about it and how bad you want to sell your house. I've sold three different homes and each buyer asked to have certain things repaired. Most of the time it was really stupid stuff, (window screen, drippy faucet, etc.) However, once a guy wanted me to replace a roof that was only 5 years old. I told him what he could go do.

Mike

 

[Charles (in GA)]

remember the cable will be distorted as it has already been torqued down previously, and the whole thing put back together and properly retorqued (using a torque wrench).

In order to do this I'd say you have to cut off the part that was in the connector and reinstall. I doubt you could get an acurate torque on a crushed piece of cable

I agree completely. Problem is, rare is it that you could do this and have enough slack (in heavy service entrance and feeder cables) to pull the wire back into the lug. The torques specified are dependent on a completely new, fresh cut, un-distorted cable, I suspect.

Charles

 

[Jaguar Fan]

I am in contract to sell the house - and the buyer isn't making an issue of this.

Interestingly, when I put the house up for sale, my real estate agent had me get our own property inspection report (& roof inspection & chimney inspection & pool inspection) to turn over to a buyer as part of the process.

Fair enough.

The buyer ordered his own property inspection & structural inspection (we live on a hillside in earthquake country.)

The buyer's property inspector flagged the issue I posted about, but my property inspector did not.

In any case, since the buyer is not making an issue about it (he knows of the issue because it is in the report) as a condition for selling the house, then my real estate agent says not to do anything.

 

[hetkind]

The two documents that control this are the NEC under wiring methods and the manufactures recommedations.

Unless we can manufactures recommendations to coat, then I would not touch the panel. The building inspector puts forth an opinion.

Howard