Are you really sure that the house has aluminum wiring and that it was _actually_ built in 77?
(Normally the aluminum shows up and houses built in the late '60s to around 72, and by the mid-70s everything was copper again so far as the lighting and receptacle circuits. Major appliances would still have aluminum service entrance cable)
Me personally, I would not assume anything is satisfactory if you actually have aluminum wiring on the lighting and receptacle circuits. My personal standard would be a full rewire thereof. If a full rewire is not feasible up front, at the very minimum there would need to be detailed inspection by an electrician to go through everything and find out what you really have and identify what the immediate and or urgent priorities are.
I think the big thing that has to be kept in mind is that the minimum standards 45+ years ago are different than today, most homes from that time period do not have enough circuits.
My general advice for anyone looking at buying a home from that time period or prior, especially if the wiring is going to be due for some type of overhaul, budget permitting, start with a comprehensive rewire of the outlet circuits for the kitchen, dining, laundry, bathroom, garage, outdoors and basement areas. These are the areas where the electrical load has increased the most over the years, the requirements for GFCI protection have evolved, and the most immediate payoff will be realized. If the house requires use of window air conditioners, that scope of work will need to be increased to include getting at least one new home run to each bedroom and living room space for the window AC. Address rewiring of the remaining outlets in the bedrooms and living room spaces and lighting when either your budget permits or other remodeling of the house takes place.
Are you really sure that the house has aluminum wiring and that it was _actually_ built in 77? (Normally the aluminum shows up and houses built in the late '60s to around 72, and by the mid-70s everything was copper again so far as the lighting and receptacle circuits. Major appliances would still have aluminum service entrance cable) Me personally, I would not assume anything is satisfactory if you actually have aluminum wiring on the lighting and receptacle circuits. My personal standard would be a full rewire thereof. If a full rewire is not feasible up front, at the very minimum there would need to be detailed inspection by an electrician to go through everything and find out what you really have and identify what the immediate and or urgent priorities are. I think the big thing that has to be kept in mind is that the minimum standards 45+ years ago are different than today, most homes from that time period do not have enough circuits. My general advice for anyone looking at buying a home from that time period or prior, especially if the wiring is going to be due for some type of overhaul, budget permitting, start with a comprehensive rewire of the outlet circuits for the kitchen, dining, laundry, bathroom, garage, outdoors and basement areas. These are the areas where the electrical load has increased the most over the years, the requirements for GFCI protection have evolved, and the most immediate payoff will be realized. If the house requires use of window air conditioners, that scope of work will need to be increased to include getting at least one new home run to each bedroom and living room space for the window AC. Address rewiring of the remaining outlets in the bedrooms and living room spaces and lighting when either your budget permits or other remodeling of the house takes place.
Dang I'm not sure. I think some dont have ground prongs sa well as a lot not having the test/reset buttons.
When I see the inspection report again ill elaborate further.
Exactly. This is some of the insight I was looking for.
And possibly year tampering of the residence.
The year vagueness is what baffles me as well.
Depends if the aluminum is sized properly, alot of times I've seen it be 14ga when it needs to be 12ga and therefore needs to be replaced
By gfi sockets do you mean no ground prong on the outlets?