Advice about aluminum wiring

Electrical Advice From an Experienced Professional

Dear Mr. Electrician: I am planning to have the electrical service to my house upgraded and the licensed electrical contractor that I will be using told me that he will be installing aluminum wire for this. Is aluminum wire safe to use?

Answer: Yes it is safe to use aluminum wire for new installations and for upgrades. Aluminum wire does have a questionable past and problems still occasionally surface to this day from improper installations that date back to the 1960's and 1970's. However new types of wires, wiring devices and equipment with an aluminum wire approval have all been tested to be safe. Click here to read "Aluminum Building Wire" published by Southwire.

If you own a house that was built in the 1960's or 1970's and it was wired with aluminum wiring throughout, there is no need to panic. However you will need to take some steps to be sure that the wiring is currently in good operating condition and is properly installed. It is possible that a previous owner took the necessary precautionary measures, but you have no idea if they were done correctly unless you investigate.

The simplest thing to do is to have a look at your electrical switches and receptacles from inside. This entails removing them from the wall with the POWER TURNED OFF. This must be done very carefully where aluminum wire is installed. The old aluminum wire does not have the flexibility of copper. Consequently it can break very easily upon the removal of a wiring device from the wall and make matters worse. If you are not comfortable with doing this, please call a licensed electrical contractor to have a look. Top

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Updated May 30, 2011

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