subject: Problems With Aluminum Wiring. [print this page] Aluminum wire was used in residential houses from the mid 1960"s to the late 1970"s. It is somewhat rare to see this type of wire in houses or buildings made after 1980. Aluminum wire can also be found in homes that have had electrical changes or upgrades in the 1960"s and 1970"s. Aluminum wire can be identified by its silver color. When performing your Morris County NJ Home Inspection I will be looking on the inside of the panel box to determine if this type of wire is present. Home inspectors should look at the electrical wires where they connect to the breaker screws. Home inspectors should also take a look at the electrical ground wires because these wires will be the same metal as the hot wires in the panel box. Solder coated wire is often mistaken for aluminum wire because it is similar in appearance. A licensed home inspector will be able to tell the difference. One is a potential fire hazard and one is not.
Aluminum wiring will have labeling on the exterior of the plastic/rubber wire coating. Typically the words aluminum or Alum will be stamped on the exterior wire sheathing. Sometimes the labels are challenging to locate so the best method to determine if alum wire exists is to inspect the interior of the panel box. New Jersey home inspectorsare required to remove the electrical panel box cover.
Aluminum wire was manufactured and is a more cost effective alternative to traditional copper electrical wire. One drawback it is that aluminum wire is less efficient in carrying electrical current then traditional copper wire. This issue was corrected by installing larger wire sizes to offset the efficiency issues.
There are several important potential problems associated with aluminum wire. The wire can become loose from under its terminal screws and at receptacle connections due to expansion and contraction of the wire. Aluminum wire is more vulnerable to overheating due to the potential of loose connections both at the terminals inside the electrical panel and at its connections to individual electrical outlets. Aluminum wire is also more malleable then traditional copper wire, making it easier to damage or crimp. Damaged or crimped wire can lead to heat buildup and could cause a house fire. Much of the aluminum wire used was poorly manufactured and of poor workmanship. As a result of its potential to overheat there have been many house fires that were directly attributed to this wire.
Due to the potential fire issues wire manufactures redesigned electrical connectors, switches, and outlets to better absorb the expansion and contraction of the wire. These newly designed switches and receptacles were labeled by the word CUAL or CO/ALR. The CO/ALR designation is preferable because these switches and outlets tend to be better engineered to accommodate the wire. Also the electrical panel box itself must be designated for use with the wire.
The best and safest approach to cure the potential aluminum wire hazard is to rewire the home. This is the only true method to elevate the risks associated with the wire. If the wire is kept active then one must make sure that all of the electrical switches, boxes, panel and connections are compatible. In some municipalities a corrective measure called pig-tailing may be implemented (not recommended). Pig tailing is the process of attaching copper wire to the aluminum wire ends. This is not recommended because it creates overcrowding in panel boxes, switches and electrical receptacles. Overcrowding has its own set of issues such as overheating. Whenever you have more then expected electrical connections there is an increased risk of heat build up and fire.
Aluminum wire is not made anymore and with good reason. But one must still be careful because there are plenty of homes that still have active aluminum wire in use. A professional home inspector will look for the presence of aluminum wire while performing your home inspection.
I inspect for aluminum wire while performing home inspections in Morris County New Jersey and all areas of the state. Make sure your home inspector removes the panel box cover (if it is safe to do so) in order to inspect for aluminum wiring.
