Aluminum Installation: Max Load Capacity for 400W to 550W or 700W Computer Upgrade

Hello, I have a question, how much can an aluminum installation withstand, it is about a computer, at the moment I have a computer connected with a max load of about 400W. Will it withstand 550 or 700 watts instead of the 400 (I would like to replace the computer), best regards

Hello, the answer is not that simple, it is not known what condition it is in, and it would be useful to use canned joints to tighten the joints because they have certainly loosened after so many years. "the chain is as strong as its weakest link", I recommend replacing the installation with a copper one.

Rather withstand the cables were laid thick at that time. And the 800W is not that much and it is not a permanent load.

no copper installation, it will be the basis, but for the next vacation, so I have a problem whether to replace the card itself only with the power supply because, for example, the 850 power supply does not mean that it will only go as much as the whole set will need. In the summer, with high temperatures, it happened, but the computer rarely restarted, I suspect that the installation was at its end but I am not a professional, currently my graphics card pulls from 130W and I would like to buy one that pulls 190W and the question is whether the motherboard also pulls some power or serves as a relay between components and how many frames could they take. Unfortunately, I do not know anything about the state of the installation. greetings

All components pull some electricity. And as for turning off in the summer, the fault was rather on the side of high temperatures of computer components. As for the efficiency of the installation, connect, for example, a cordless kettle to this socket and you will see if there are any problems. And it has about 2000W.

Long-term current load for aluminum wires and cables with PVC insulation, depending on the method of laying (in the wall, in pipes in the wall) and several other factors, you can assume 8A per mm2. Measure the diameter, calculate the cross-section, then the power (for simplicity you can take cos phi = 1) and you have a ready answer. It would be good to check the contacts in sockets and boxes (turn them up) - lower temperature at the connectors, no sparking and thus lower risk of fire. I would suggest to carry out all the works with the voltage in the installation switched off, for obvious reasons.

shadow could I ask for ready-made substitution formulas? If I am at home, I will check if I drink, it will be faster, I will not glow. greetings

Power P = U * I * cosfi U = 220v And what can flow on the wires, it is written that 8A per mm ^ 2. So measure how many mm2 the wires have and you will know what current they can transmit and calculate the power from it. Briefly.

You will get the power in watts, now voltage U = 230V, section S = 1/4 * pi * diameter ^ 2 (or pi * radius ^ 2), cos phi = 1 for simplicity, current in [A] I = S * 8. Power P [W] = 230 [V] * I [A]. The calculated value will be approximate, due to the fact that the current value is not directly proportional to the cross-section, e.g. the permissible current for S = 1.5 is 10A, S = 2.5 14A, S = 4 19A.

Calculations by calculations and life by life. In blocks from 70 years, maintaining a constant diameter along the length from the fuse to the socket is almost a miracle.
As a rule, it is not just one cable, but only joined cables that "fly" from socket to socket and at each socket it was crimped and probably bent many times, which influenced its structure. (In the case of my block, the sockets served (and do) the function of cans and the cables were not screwed together there, only the so-called "twisted snout")

Coming back to the topic: will it hold on? The unknown - risk is fun.
Someone suggested connecting, for example, a kettle. Good idea - only after plugging in this kettle you have to walk around the sockets at home and smell them and check with your hand whether they are warming up (I had such a case after about 10 minutes of heater operation, the sockets started to melt "on the way").

However, in the socket blocks they did not put a cable thinner than 1.5 mm (as I remember correctly, even 2 but ... builders could save) So let's assume that after bends and other bizarre connections let it be 1 mm, then with further simplification it will give about 1700W . And with this power, in my opinion, you can safely burden this network.
Second thing, the original fuses in the house from the 70s were designed for 10A and they were to protect the network, so shortcuts 220V * 10A = 2200W

The condition, as mentioned above, that the chain is as strong as its weakest link, if there is a "narrowing" of the wire somewhere, it will ultimately work like a fuse, turning off the power (trouble finding such a "fuse"). On the other hand, if there is a bad contact, the connection may heat up (which may ultimately lead to fire).

Anyway, until you check it out, you will not find out.

Hello,

I note right away that I am a total layman when it comes to electrics .
I also live in a block from the 1970s and had an aluminum installation until recently. I replaced it with a copper one, but the question was whether the wires to the meter were also made of aluminum? Are these other more powerful installations? Because what if I replaced my installation with a copper one, if I get burned at the entrance ...

I am asking because I would like to buy a freestanding air conditioner, the max. the cooling power is 3500W or the smaller model 2000W.

How to check if I can afford such luxury with my installation. I would like to add that I have no problems with the simultaneous operation of the microwave, kettle and washing machine.

Aside from the topic, the cooling power and the power taken from the network are two different things ...

And in the subject, it should not be a problem, although it depends on its thickness, I also have an aluminum cable, I also have an air conditioner (1.5kW), I also have a 180W LCD TV and 160W audio, as everything goes, the cables do hmmm maybe summer ones, definitely not warm. I know that maybe it should not be on one outlet, but it turned out that way .

In short - as I remember correctly - (at least in Łódź) in the 1970s, aluminum "half a half" was placed in the sockets in the rooms - which means that the maximum current consumed was not to exceed 10A. The socket in the bathroom was 2.5 sq m, the kitchen was also on a "half-half" (i.e. where 3 fuses were "provided" - 1- lighting (all) 2 - sockets in the room / rooms and kitchen and 3 (16A) for the socket in bathroom - automatic washing machines were already there ).
It was worse in two-fuse installations - the man did not know what and what was on which fuse ) - I know a situation where switching on the washing machine (in the kitchen) and the dryer in the bathroom gave the effect of "I can see darkness ... - in the room ) "
It was worse to haul the wires "the shortest way possible" - that is, without a detector you won't find them , and connecting sockets in boxes (as already mentioned. And you have to remember that the only earthed socket was in the bathroom only (standard).
But back to the topic:
jeddite - if they did not replace the main installation in the block - you will definitely have aluminum in front of the meter ... - maybe it will hold - they often gave 4 mm? there ..
Butterfly86 the installation should be able to withstand - but it would be good for someone knowledgeable to see it (at least the transitions / connections in the sockets - if there were any) - also remember to ground ...

In my cellar, a 0.75 mm cable goes from the house, such as a desk lamp, it uses a 480 watt computer, sometimes a 1000 watt vacuum cleaner and it depends whether it needs to connect something heavier with a power of 2000 watt and nothing happens cold cables.

Added after 1 [minutes]:

and on a 1.5 mm aluminum cable, the refrigerator and the oven were flickering. The block is about 50 years old, but it flickered somehow.