How Safe Is Residential Aluminum Wiring?

Two million homes located within the United States depend on aluminum wiring to deliver the electric power to the outlets, lights and switches in the home.  Unfortunately, every connection of aluminum wire to a switch or outlet or those made in a junction box provides an opportunity for a home fire to begin According to the Consumer Protection Commission, these wires produce a serious possibility of a home fire.  Even so, many homeowners continue to live in unsafe homes that depend on aluminum wiring.

For almost a decade, from about 1965 to 1975, many new homes were built making use of the lighter to handle and less expensive aluminum wire instead of copper.  In addition, aluminum wiring was widely used in home additions and remodels in the same period. The problem is not with the straight runs of aluminum wire, but the connections.  In those connections, the wire can deteriorate and present the fire hazard.  Since typical homes have over 200 connections, homes using aluminum wire possess a great deal of potential danger. As the aluminum starts to oxidize at the connection, it can result in the creation of heat.  While the circuit may not use enough additional energy to create a short and trip a breaker, the bad connection could potentially cause enough heat to result in a fire.

Homeowners may be influenced to believe that the wiring is safe mainly because it hasn’t caused a problem in almost 40 years, but time is actually the enemy here.  Connections will continue to deteriorate as time passes, leading to a greater likelihood of fire. The safest way to determine if your house has this type of wiring is to hire an electrical contractor.  Homeowners can look at the cables running in the basement or attic.  If it is stamped “Aluminum” or “AL”, the home is built with the potentially dangerous wires.

If the home has aluminum wiring, the best choice is usually to have an electrical contractor replace any aluminum wire with copper.  An electrician is actually a trained professional that can inspect the wiring in the house to ensure that it remains safe.  In addition to checking for suspected aluminum wiring, homeowner should call a professional from the electrical company any time they see the following:

• Home is still equipped with fuses instead of circuit breakers

• Circuit breakers must be reset often

• Lights dim inside the room when the air conditioner is switched on

• Lights flicker, go on and off or do not work in any way

• You can smell electricity burning

• There are not enough outlets for the needed appliances or electronics

• Circuits do not provide a grounding outlet

• Switches, plugs or panel box feel hot

The electrician is professionally educated to ensure that all the electrical supply in the house continues to operate in a safe manner.