ALUMINUM WIRING

Aluminum Wiring Replacement

In the mid-1960’s and into the early 1970’s, the electrical systems in many homes used aluminum wires instead of copper. The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 2,000,000 homes were built or renovated using aluminum wiring. Since the mid-1970’s, only copper wiring has been used because aluminum was found to pose a fire hazard.

What's Unsafe About Aluminum Wiring?

Aluminum wiring poses a fire hazard wherever it is spliced or makes a connection with an outlet, switch, circuit breaker, or other component of the electrical system. At connection points, aluminum wires shrink and expand with temperature changes. Over time, this movement can cause breaks in the circuit which can cause overheating, sparks, or fire.

Consumer Product Safety Commission: “Serious Potential Fire Hazard"

The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates that the likelihood of a fire in a house wired with aluminum is 40 to 50 times that of a house wired with copper.

A spokesman for the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, Scott Wolfson, says about aluminum wiring, “This is an area we feel very strongly about. Aluminum wiring in a house presents a very serious potential fire hazard. We feel that there are a significant number of homeowners who have aluminum wiring and who haven’t yet taken steps to make their homes safe.”

You Don’t Have to Rewire Your Entire House

Fortunately, there is a relatively inexpensive way to address the unsafe aluminum wiring in your home without having to completely replace all the aluminum wires. The safety issue can be resolved simply by adding copper connection points to the ends of the aluminum wires where they connect to the switches, outlets, and circuit breakers.

It should be noted that working with aluminum wire is a specialized area of electrical work, and home aluminum wiring safety retrofits should only be performed by electricians specifically trained in aluminum-to-copper retrofits.

What’s My Next Step?

If your house was built or renovated in the mid-1960’s to early 1970’s, and you’re wondering if it has aluminum wiring which may not have been upgraded for safety, feel free to give our office a call. We’ll be happy to help you determine if the electrical wiring in your home poses any safety issues.