Residential Electrical System Aging Research Project Technical Report (PDF)
July 1, 2008
Prepared by: David A. Dini, P.E. Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
© 2008 The Fire Protection Research Foundation
In 2002, in response to questions regarding the influence of aging and installation quality on the fire safety of electrical systems, the Fire Protection Research Foundation initiated a collaborative research and development project designed to address the issue through a comprehensive survey of the condition of representative samples of residential electrical components installed in different eras and U.S. locations. A total of 30 homes were harvested from across the U.S. ranging in age from 30 to 110 years. This report presents a summary of the results of this study. Lessons learned have included the potential impact of original installation quality and inspection as additional factors to be considered in performance. It is hoped that this project will provide critical information to code writers – especially for NFPA 73 and the NEC® – as well as AHJs, electrical equipment manufacturers, installers, property owners, and insurers.