I’ve had a couple of calls lately from clients with questions about Aluminum wiring.  I thought I’d write a summary of the issue:

1)  Most houses have some aluminum wiring.  This can usually be found on your main service entry cable that comes into your panel box from the outside.  This cable is usually STRANDED ALUMINUM and is not a problem.

2)  Some houses have branch circuits (outlets and light switches) that are aluminum.  Aluminum branch wiring can be a problem.  Aluminum expands and contracts more that copper wiring, and this expansion and contraction can loosen up aluminum contacts with the outlets.  This has caused fire in the past.

The solution to this problem is to use custom outlets and switches made for aluminum so they will not become loose.  These outlets and switches should have a CO/ALR designation stamped on them.  So if you notice that you have aluminum branch wiring, make sure your outlets and switches are made for it.

Remember, the “big” stranded aluminum wires are not a problem.  This is likely because the space between the strands provides a space for the aluminum to expand and contract without damage.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 28th, 2008 at 1:17 pm and is filed under Uncategorized, Safety, Maintenance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.