Is aluminum wiring dangerous?
Q....Is aluminum wiring dangerous?
from Zoocasa Ask the Pros
A.... Robert Ede
The wires are not dangerous - it's the connections to receptacles, switches and fixtures that was the cause of a problem in the 1970's.
Back then, the price of copper and copper wire rose.
Some builders chose to use aluminum wires (Aside, Alcan the manufactuer, was building all-Aluminum houses at the time, as a show-place for all their products ... including wiring).
The problem (resulting in fires)was with the receptacles, switches and fixtures (designed for copper wires).
After a few fires, the building industry devised new components designed for both copper and aluminum wires and non-oxidizing pastes that solved the problem of overheating and sparking at the "connections".
Remember whole subdivisions were done with aluminum back then ....and all those homes are still standing.
Enquire if the home is wired w copper or aluminum and make sure by having an experienced person remove the clipped/screwed-on cover of the electrical panel to view the "raw ends" of the wires as they go into the circuits.
Replacing every "connection" with co/al compliant components will cost about $5 per component and $10-20 per component to install.
NB this is an electricians-only job.
from Zoocasa Ask the Pros
A.... Robert Ede
The wires are not dangerous - it's the connections to receptacles, switches and fixtures that was the cause of a problem in the 1970's.
Back then, the price of copper and copper wire rose.
Some builders chose to use aluminum wires (Aside, Alcan the manufactuer, was building all-Aluminum houses at the time, as a show-place for all their products ... including wiring).
The problem (resulting in fires)was with the receptacles, switches and fixtures (designed for copper wires).
After a few fires, the building industry devised new components designed for both copper and aluminum wires and non-oxidizing pastes that solved the problem of overheating and sparking at the "connections".
Remember whole subdivisions were done with aluminum back then ....and all those homes are still standing.
Enquire if the home is wired w copper or aluminum and make sure by having an experienced person remove the clipped/screwed-on cover of the electrical panel to view the "raw ends" of the wires as they go into the circuits.
Replacing every "connection" with co/al compliant components will cost about $5 per component and $10-20 per component to install.
NB this is an electricians-only job.
posted by Walk a Kb or Two in my cassins | 5:44 pm
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