Aluminum Wiring:
Aluminum wiring is fast becoming one of London’s biggest residential electrical issues and we have spent a great deal of time researching the various options available to homeowners and have the best solutions to make your home’s electrical system safer.
What’s the big deal about aluminum wiring?
Aluminum wiring was outlawed in Canada in the late 1970s, because it expands and contracts more than copper wire, which leads to loose connections, arcing, melting and ultimately fire. Also, aluminum wire corrodes much more easily than copper wire, which causes the breakdown of the wire, particularly at its points of connection.
Even though it only was used between roughly 1965 and 1980, there are easily over 15,000 homes in the London region with aluminum wiring. This means that 15% of the houses in London are 55 times more likely to have fire hazard conditions present.
It’s no surprise insurance companies are increasing premiums or outright denying coverage to people who have houses wired with aluminum and it’s also no surprise that many new home buyers avoid these houses altogether.
Is it really that bad?
Unfortunately, it can be a very serious fire hazard in the home.
How do I know if my aluminum wiring is safe?
Although over 90% of your wiring is concealed behind the walls, fortunately problems with aluminum wiring have a few danger signs you should look out for:
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Warm to the touch faceplates
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Flickering lights
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Intermittent power
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Circuits that simply don’t work
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Strange noises or smells coming from outlets or switches
Unfortunately, problems with aluminum wiring can sneak-up on you very quickly. Therefore, a house that seems safe today may not necessarily be safe tomorrow.
We found these six-month old outlets in a home renovation that were on the verge of starting a fire.
Can you write me a letter saying it’s safe?
We get asked this question quite frequently, as many insurance companies are requiring inspections and repairs before providing insurance to new homeowners. As you can probably guess, from the previous example, there are no guarantees with the safety of aluminum wiring, as its condition can change rapidly. As a result, we will not provide insurance letters indicating that it is safe.
However, if you read below, you may find a solution that not only meets your requirements, but makes your home’s electrical system safer.
What can we do about it?
Right now in Canada, there are three options available:
This is the worst, and most out-dated aluminum wiring repair out there. Studies have shown how dangerous this repair is, but yet many electricians in our area continue to suggest this as a good, cost-effective solution.
Essentially, pig-tailing is connecting a new copper wire to the existing aluminum wire, and connecting the new copper wire to the receptacle or switch. The idea here is that you will avoid the disparity between the expansion and contraction of the aluminum wire and the device. Also, the idea is that you’re less likely to experience corrosion at the device given that both the screw on the receptacle or switch and the wire itself are both copper.
Unfortunately, this repair has a serious drawback. If the problem with aluminum wiring ultimately lies in the points of connection, then what are we doing here? We are actually DOUBLING the number of connections in the house!
This cost-effective method is a good start in improving the safety of your home’s electrical system. This involves replacing all the receptacles and switches in the home with ones that are rated for aluminum wiring. This takes care of both the metal expansion/contraction and corrosion issues.
Our Aluminum Wiring Rejuvenation solution is a combination of changing all of your devices in the home and treating all other aluminum electrical connections with an anti-oxidant paste, as well as proper wire connectors rated for aluminum wiring.
Obviously the safest and best long-term solution for dealing with aluminum wiring. A typical rewire will take 5-7 days and require an investment of $5,000 - $10,000. For more discussion about our home rewiring services, please see our section on knob and tube.
