How to Wire Your Home with Aluminum Wiring

Introduction

As a homeowner with aluminum wiring, you may have concerns about the safety and reliability of your electrical system. Aluminum wiring was used in many homes built between 1965 and 1973 due to the rising cost of copper. While aluminum is a great conductor of electricity, it is not as ideal as copper for home electrical systems. However, with the right precautions and wiring methods, aluminum wiring can be safe and last for decades. In this comprehensive guide, I will walk you through everything you need to know about aluminum wiring, including its advantages and disadvantages, evaluating your wiring, and best practices for repairs, replacements, and wiring high-load devices. My goal is to empower you with the knowledge to make informed decisions about your home's electrical safety.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Aluminum Wiring

Before diving into wiring methods, let's review the key pros and cons of using aluminum instead of copper for home electrical systems:

Advantages

• Lower cost - Aluminum is cheaper than copper, which helps reduce construction costs. This made it appealing in the 1960s and 70s when copper prices were rising.

• Lightweight - Aluminum wiring is lighter than copper, making it easier to work with and install.

• Good conductivity - Aluminum conducts electricity nearly as well as copper, so it can handle home electrical loads.

Disadvantages

• Higher resistance - Aluminum has a higher resistance than copper, which causes more heat generation and voltage drops. This means more energy is lost as heat.

• Oxidation - When exposed to air, aluminum readily oxidizes. This can lead to corroded connections and increased resistance. Copper oxidizes at a much slower rate.

• Expansion and contraction - Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper. This can loosen wire connections over time.

• Difficult to terminate - It's harder to make strong and reliable connections with aluminum wiring. Special installation procedures must be followed.

So in summary, aluminum is more prone to connection issues, fire hazards, and voltage drops compared to copper due to qualities like high resistance and expansion/contraction. Proper installation and maintenance is critical for safety.

Evaluating Your Aluminum Wiring

If you have an older home, here are some steps you can take to evaluate the condition of aluminum wiring:

• Check the breakers or fuses - are any frequently tripping or blowing? This can indicate an issue.

• Inspect the electrical panel for signs of overheating - discoloration, melted plastic, or burned scent.

• Remove outlet and switch cover plates to visually examine connections. Do you see burned wires, discolored terminals, loose connections, or cracks in the insulation? Any of these would indicate a problem.

• Check walls and ceilings for discoloration which may reflect overheated wires.

• Hire an electrician to thoroughly assess the wiring with special testing equipment. They can check connections for temperature rise and use tools to detect looseness.

• Consider an infrared scan to identify hot spots and connections needing repair.

Document any issues you find. It's wise to get professional electrical assessments done periodically to stay ahead of potential hazards. Safety should be the top priority.

Best Practices for Repairs and Replacements

If your aluminum wiring evaluation reveals hazards or faults, repairs or replacement should be done immediately. Here are best practices:

Repairs

• Use CO/ALR connectors (copper-aluminum/repair) designed for splicing copper and aluminum. Do not use standard wire nuts.

• Apply anti-oxidant paste to connections to prevent corrosion and looseness.

• pigtailing involves splicing short sections of copper wire to the ends of aluminum wires using CO/ALR connectors, then connecting appliances to the copper. This isolates the aluminum.

• Replace damaged sections of aluminum wiring with COPALUM splices - special connectors for splicing copper and aluminum wire.

• Removal and replacement of damaged wire runs may be needed in some cases.

Complete Replacement

• For optimal safety, complete replacement with new copper wiring is recommended by experts. This is expensive but may be worth the investment for peace of mind.

• Replacement can be done systematically over time if cost is prohibitive to do all at once. Prioritize high load circuits first.

• Consult an electrician to ensure all wiring replacements are properly installed and connected.

Wiring High-Load Devices

Heavier appliances and devices require special precautions when wired with aluminum:

• Use pigtailing - connect heavy-load devices like stoves, dryers, air conditioners and heaters to short copper wire pigtails spliced to the aluminum with CO/ALR connectors. The copper pigtail then connects to the device.

• For heating appliances, the Terminator splice repair device is recommended for connecting copper and aluminum. It uses compression sleeves for a strong connection.

• Increase wire size - for example, use #6 awg aluminum instead of #8 to handle appliance loads, compensating for aluminum's higher resistance.

• Use anti-oxidant paste and inspect connections yearly. High-load circuits are at higher risk for issues.

Ensuring Proper Installations

If you are remodeling or running new wiring in your aluminum-wired home, follow these guidelines:

• Use only contractors experienced and trained in aluminum wiring system repairs and improvements. Improper work could make things worse.

• Use compatible switches, outlets, and connectors rated CO/ALR for copper and aluminum. Many standard devices are unsuitable for aluminum wire.

• Avoid back-stabbing connections into the back of outlets/switches - side screw terminals are more reliable for aluminum.

• Apply an anti-oxidant paste to all new connections.

• Carefully follow the tightening torque specifications for connections - under or over-tightening aluminium terminals causes problems.

• Ensure wires are properly supported and secured to avoid tension or pulls on connections as the wire moves.

In Conclusion

With aging aluminum wiring, caution and diligence are necessary to maintain a safe electrical system in your home. Seek professional assessments of your wiring, make repairs promptly, use specialized splicing methods, and consider complete rewiring with copper. With the proper precautions and maintenance, aluminum wiring can provide continued safe and reliable electrical power. But its higher resistance and connection issues do require extra vigilance compared to modern copper wiring.