Aluminum Wiring – A Blast from the Past
Traditionally, homes built between the 1960’s and early 1970’s were wired with aluminum wiring. Then, around the mid-1970’s, aluminum wiring was labelled a fire hazard and was replaced with copper wiring. Today, only copper wiring is used in building construction.
The Dangers of Aluminum Wiring
Serious fire hazards can occur when aluminum wiring is spliced, or connects with an outlet, circuit breaker, switch, or other components of an electrical system. In addition aluminum wiring shrinks and expands, and these constant changes to the aluminum wiring can easily result in overheating, causing sparks which ultimately can lead to fires.
What can we do?
Aluminum wiring can be replaced or repaired to effectively and permanently reduce the possibility of fire and injury due to failing (overheating) wire connections and splices. It is essential that you hire a qualified electrician to perform this remediation.