The Dangers of Aluminum Wiring
 

 

Do you have aluminum wiring in your home?
Does your wiring look like this?

Are you unsure? We can find out while doing a home safety inspection.

 

So What? I've had this same wiring
for 30 years!
Who cares if I have it?

 

It may be true that you have had the same wiring for 30
years. In the past 30 years have any new appliances
been added to your home? Lighting fixtures? Outlets?
Switches? Was your home wired for computers and cell
phone charges and VCR and DVD players 30 years ago?
Chances are you answered yes to all of these questions.
Did you know that aluminum wiring cannot handle the
same electrical loads that copper wiring can?

 

Aluminum wiring, used in some homes from the mid 1960's to the early 1970's, is a potential fire hazard.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, fires and even deaths have been
reported to have been caused by this hazard. Problems due to expansion can cause
overheating at connections between the wire and devices (switches and outlets) or at splices.
CPSC research shows that "homes wired with aluminum wire manufactured before 1972 are 55
times more likely to have one or more connections reach "Fire Hazard Conditions" than are
homes wired with copper.
"Post 1972" aluminum wire is also a concern.
Introduction of the aluminum wire "alloys" in 1972 time frame did not solve most of the
connection failure problems.

 

The main problem with aluminum wiring is a phenomenon known as "cold creep".
When aluminum wiring warms up, it expands. When it cools down, it contracts.
Unlike copper, when aluminum goes through a number of warm/cool cycles it loses a bit of tightness each time.
To make the problem worse, aluminum oxidises, or corrodes when in contact with certain
types of metal, so the resistance of the connection goes up. Which causes it to heat up and
corrode/oxidize still more.
Eventually the wire may start getting very hot, melt the insulation or fixture it's attached to,
and possibly even cause a fire.

Don't believe me about the hazards of electrical wiring?
Click the links below to read more about it.

Aluminum Wiring Information Website

Statefarm Insurance Website

Home Repair Website

Do-it-yourself Website

Heimer Engineering Website
OK- Now I believe you- What can I do now?

Currently there are only a few ways to safely repair
aluminum wiring.  One way is to use the COPALUM method
shown below.  We would be more than happy to do this at
your house.  Just give us a call at 830-774-6363!

 

 

Here are some pictures showing the dangers of using a non-approved, but
much cheaper repair method using wire nuts.  You decide which is better.

   

And Finally some pictures showing wrong material used to make a repair
and also from an inexperienced person who installed wiring devices that
were not meant to be used with aluminum wiring.

 

 

   

Western Electric & Air
903 E. Ogden Ave
Del Rio, TX  78840
PHONE
(830) 774-6363