Aluminum Wiring in your Home!

If you have Aluminum Wires in your home you should consider replacing them with Copper Wires and avoid the Risk of an Electrical Fire or lingering Electrical Hazard. The things that you should know about Aluminum Wires in your home! Is that Aluminum Wires are great Current carrying Conductors, but they are not that safe and should no longer be used in your Home. Consider rewiring your home and have them completely removed to avoid the risk of an Electrical Fire.

Aluminum Wires were widely used in the late 1960’s to the mid 1970, within a period of about 10 years, it became obvious that Aluminum Wires were problematic, not Safe, and a possible Fire hazard. Once the Industry came to the realization of the potential Hazard and threat that Aluminum Wires posed. The use of Aluminum Wires for Internal and inaccessible Electrical Installation in Residential, Commercial or any other type of Building Structure was quickly abolished. These types of Aluminum Wires were now deemed NOT Approved nor Accepted for the use and Installation in concealed or inaccessible Electrical Wiring and/or Installations in Residential and/or Commercial Building Structure.

Aluminum Wires can become extremely weak and frail and burn out especially at the point of Termination. Some examples and known places for this to occur are at the Main Electrical Panel, Breakers and Fuse Terminals including each individual Device, such as a Receptacles, Switches, Junction Box as well as the Lights Junction Boxes that holds the Light Fixtures in place.

This is due to the fact that Aluminum Wires will Oxidize, this is especially true when introduced to Joints, Splices or spliced with Copper Wires. At such a point of joints and splices they tend to overheat and burn out.  Especially if they are Not properly spliced or Terminated with the NON Oxidizing NOLAX Compound, which must be used whenever Aluminum Wires are spliced or Joint with other wires. Or if they are Installed and/or connected/Terminated with incompatible devices such as Switches, Receptacles, etc., which have been designed for use with copper wires Only.

There are several ways to ensure that Aluminum Wires are kept to a safe Operating Level.

• One is to ensure that all Wires are Properly Terminated with the use of NOLAX COMPOUND,
• Second is to ensure that all Terminations are done right and were they are connected to Devices ensure that all Wires are Terminated with NOLAX COMPOUND, and that the Device is an Aluminum approved accepting Device.
• Third is to make all Terminations in Junction Boxes and Device Boxes with the use of NOLAX COMPOUND and by installing Pig Tails at all Joints and Splices in order to ensure a solid and strong connection and Termination of Wires.

Some ways to tell if you are at risk if the cover plates of a Switch, Receptacle or Device is Warm to the touch or if you notice any discolouration of Switches or Receptacles, flickering lights, or the smell of hot plastic insulation may be evidence that these problems are present and exist.

We always recommend that when and were possible to remove and replace all Aluminum Wires in order to avoid and reduce the risk of a potentially dangerous situation (Fire, Personal Injury, Death,). It is also strongly recommended that all Aluminum Wires be removed and/or replaced in its entirety. This would be an ideal and proper way to deal with a potentially hazardous and Life threatening condition of pre-existing wiring.