If your home was built between 1965 and 1972, there’s a very good chance aluminum wiring was employed for your electrical system. There was a nationwide building boom going on at the time and builders galore employed cheaper materials to cash in on the profits to be made.
Yes, aluminium wiring costs less than today’s preferred copper, but that’s not why you should strongly consider having it replaced. Aluminium wiring isn’t as safe. In fact, and according to one study, homes built with aluminium wiring are 55 times more likely to have a fire hazard present than homes built with copper.
Here are the major problems associated with aluminium wiring:
- Tends to oxidize when exposed to air, resulting in overheating, and eventually failure at the termination points.
- Aluminium isn’t as resilient as copper. It also has a greater rate of expansion often resulting in loose terminations and connections, arcing, melting and even fire.
- Breakage during installation from wire stripping and over-tightening of the splices also has caused problems.
Here are some common warning signs associated with aluminium wiring:
- Incandescent lights momentarily dim or brighten when a motor is turned on.
- Recurring flickering of lights.
- Light bulbs that burn out quickly.
- Electrical gadgets and switches suddenly stop working, and yet a circuit breaker hasn’t been tripped.
- You catch the scent of burning plastic.
- A socket or light switch sparks, flames, or smokes.
- You observe signs of overheating.
How would you even know if your home was built with and still contains aluminium wiring? That’s a job best left to Burton, your Omaha electrician, for reasons of personal safety. Contact us today to request a home wiring inspection and to learn more about why aluminium wiring should be replaced and is no longer used in home remodelling or new construction.
