Courtesy of MorgueFile.com

We bought our house in 1999. I did not know a thing about aluminum wiring. I didn’t know to even have a second thought about it. The home passed inspection (albeit our inspector couldn’t find one of the attic access panels, missed a leaking oil tank and the half-flight of steps to the basement slid out from under my husband the day after closing) and we went to closing. I have been obsessed with upgrading electric outlets and switches since I was in high school when I would shut off breakers (when I thought of it) and replace the ones at my Parents house. I began a process of replacing them at our home.

Fast forward to an early February morning in 2002, I needed to iron a shirt before my first closing as a Delaware agent; I unplugged a fan which had been shut off to plug in an iron. As I pulled the plug I heard a distinct hiss, then I saw a streak of blue going around the outlet plate cover a few times. I freaked out, my Husband was out of town on business, it was 7:30am, and I didn’t know what to do. I called my neighbor who was an Electrical Engineer and asked him what to do. He instructed me to turn off the breaker and he would come right over. By 9:30 that night Dale and Linda Davis of CMI Electric in Newark, Delaware were sitting at my dining room table reviewing the problem we had and explaining options. Linda and Dale had insisted upon coming on their own time because of the potential danger. They are still friends of mine.

Last Month while I was waiting to get a flight back from speaking at a conference in Florida, I got an photo message on my phone from my husband. A nearby home was fully engulfed in flames, I couldn’t believe it. The house suffered over $250,000 in damages. Everyone assumed it was the aluminum wiring, the cause is yet to be determined.  In my neighborhood of 356 homes, all of which were built with aluminum wiring, this is not the only fire we have seen over the years. I am very passionate about educating my clients about the realities of aluminum wiring and that you can live safely with it in your home.

Aluminum wiring itself is safe, in fact it is fairly standard in most circuit panels in homes in the 220 volt connections. In the 1960’s and 1970’s many US homes were built with aluminum wiring, as a less expensive alternative to copper wiring. The problem was not immediately apparent, but as time goes by and aluminum wiring was connected to copper switches, outlets, and light fixtures, the problem became more apparent. Aluminum contracts and expands at a different rate than copper does. As the wires separate the possibility for arching begins to become a hazard. In 2011 consider a 50 year old house, with insulation, wood framing and aluminum connections not checked might be ripe for.

People get a little too dramatic about the overall risks of aluminum wiring, and if people spend the time to educate themselves they will very easily learn there are simple options to help keep them, and their home, safe.

  1. The first and best option, have a Master electrician inspect your potential new home. Determine what kind of wiring you have and the condition of it. Look for a company that works with aluminum wiring. This should be done at the time of your home inspection.
  2. Understand that aluminum wiring has specific switches and outlet plates that are designed for it, they are most often brown colored switches and outlets. Now brown might be in style in a babies room combined with blue paint, but most people dislike the brown of the switches or outlets. Forget vanity, safety is far more important.
  3. Check the connections at least once a year! Whether or not you have had a process to “pigtail” the aluminum to copper, you will want to check each light switch, outlet and light fixture in your home at least once per year. It isn’t worth the risk of a fire. In fact, even if you don’t have aluminum it is worth checking all those electrical connections in any home.
  4. Consider COPALUM as an option. In 2002 CMI Electric installed the COPALUM system in my house on every outlet, switch and electrical connection they could find (including the doorbell). The cost has gone up significantly but the cost to save a life or your home isn’t even a second thought. I watched them do this, basically it is regarded as a permanent “pigtail”, with a special machine they meld the copper and aluminum together under 1.5 tons of pressure, then a plastic protector covers the connection. It is supposed to be maintenance free, but I have had a few that have come loose and needed replacement, CMI comes out each time and takes care of it at a minimal cost.

Other solutions are available that are more affordable, and there are a lot of great resources online to help you find them. I found a lot of information on aluminum wiring when I searched it, here are some of the links:

  1. WikiPedia- Aluminum Wiring – This has a lot of information on conductivity, solutions, history and more.
  2. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has a great site on Aluminum Wiring; I recommend it as required reading to any and all home owners.
  3. InspectApedia.com offers a lot of information on home inspections and systems, including a very comprehensive section on aluminum wiring. Worth a scan and a book mark.

I think this direct quote from the CPSC.org website is a great one, and poignant:

“The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff and other government officials have investigated numerous hazardous incidents and fires throughout the nation involving aluminum branch circuit wiring. A national survey conducted by Franklin Research Institute for CPSC showed that homes built before 1972, and wired with aluminum, are 55 times more likely to have one or more wire connections at outlets reach “Fire Hazard Conditions” than homes wired with copper. That survey encompassed only the wire connections at outlets. It did not address other types of aluminum wire connections and splices in homes that are also prone to fail. No information was developed for aluminum-wired homes built after 1972.

The fire hazard investigated by CPSC occurs at connections with aluminum wire, including receptacles or switches and junction boxes; or the hazards occur with major appliances, including dishwashers or furnaces, for example. There are several deterioration processes in aluminum wire connections that cause increased resistance to the flow of electric current, resulting in damage that is cumulative in effect. That increased resistance causes overheating, sometimes at hazardous levels, when current is flowing in the circuit.”

You can purchase that home with aluminum wiring, as long as you understand the procedures for proper care and maintenance. Electrical wiring of any sort should always be monitored and properly maintained. A relationship with a good electrician is essential for any and all homeowners. Ask your real estate professional to guide you in the inspection process and the selection of a qualified inspector. Remember, they deal with home sales everyday and you should rely upon and trust your agent to help you in your decision making process.

Photo: By Photojock, Courtesy of MorgueFile.com