Commercial or Residential Electrical Inspection Services in Edmonton

It is completely fine to have Aluminum wiring if it is installed correctly and is only employed in the proper application. People often encounter issues with aluminum wiring when it’s used in the branch type circuit wiring (It is the smaller wires used to transfer electricity from any electrical panel to the lighting fixtures, switches, and plugs.) Much like any other wiring, aluminum wiring is safe to employ when appropriate terminations and connections are provided without hampering the quality of the wire and the materials approved by the Canadian Electrical Code are installed in conformity. These days, the stranded aluminum wire is commonly used for the feeder lines and the main distribution lines to bring electric power to your home.

Having an unlicensed electrician fix your home’s aluminum wiring will only cause more problems to your wiring. Fixing aluminum wiring properly requires a thorough understanding of the electronics and certified skills of a licensed electrician. Also, without having a licensed electrician contractor on board, you can not get your home or office wiring system certified as secure for the insurance applications.

The root cause of problems that arise from having aluminum wiring comes from the physical properties of aluminum. It is a metal that oxidizes whenever exposed to air, which results in overheating and causes failure at the termination points of the wiring. As aluminum is categorized as a soft metal that demonstrates a very different set of electrical characteristics than metals like copper, keen attention and thorough understanding are important to ensure that only appropriate devices employ aluminum wiring.

Yes, but only if the aluminum wiring in your house is safe. If your home is wired with AW, most insurance companies would demand a proper electrical safety inspection by a qualified and licensed electrician before they sell you any policies or renew existing ones. Generally, you will require electrical repairs.

Aluminum wiring was common in the houses constructed from the mid-1960s to late 1970s, if your residence was also constructed in this time frame, there’s a good chance your house has aluminum wiring. You can easily check what type of wiring you have by taking a good look at the visible wiring found between the open floor joints, in the attic, or even in the basement. You should also try looking at the service panel and see if the wiring is marked with words like ALUM, ALUMINUM, AL, AL ACM, or ALUM ACM.

The following signs might indicate that your aluminum wiring has problems: The lights at your home are flickering, however, this phenomenon can’t be traced to any external issue. You have plugs that do not work even when the circuit is energized. You are encountering odd static on your TV, computer or radio. There are crooked, discoloured and warm receptacle covers and switch plates. Fuses and circuit breakers are tripping for no visible reason. You notice an odour that smells like burning plastic near switches and receptacles. You see sparking or smoke near electrical devices. If you find any of these issues in your house, you should reach out to a professional electrical contractor in Edmonton and have all your electrical systems checked on priority to save yourself and your loved ones from any electrical hazards or inconveniences.

Not entirely. Aluminum wiring has a very notorious reputation for causing electrical issues without any indications or prior symptoms. We always recommend a complete electrical safety inspection.

Yes, it is possible. Some houses or offices contain a mixture of both copper and aluminum wiring.

Yes, residents of AB have the following three ESA authorized choices, to prevent the risks and problems caused by aluminum wiring. 1 - Installation of AL/CU or CO/ALR devices only. This solution involves replacing all the common switches and wall receptacles in your home with the ones that are specifically rated and designed for aluminum wiring. We do not have tamper-resistant receptacles and “Decora” devices available in a CO/ARC form. Its Availability is limited to standard devices. However, this solution does not address connections in any lighting fixtures. 2 - Copper Pigtails with Specialized Connectors. The most common solution for addressing the problems caused by AW is adding new copper pigtail wires between electrical devices and aluminum wiring. It is important to ensure that this type of connection must only be done using special wire connectors and a proper anti-oxidant paste that helps increase the conductivity and also eradicates the corrosion. 3 - Complete home rewire using only copper wiring. This is simply the safest and most durable solution to all your wiring issues. It is often a one-time investment that ranges anywhere from $7,000 up to $20,000 plus considering all factors including the size of your house or office. Copper wiring is a very convenient wiring option to protect yourself and your home from all sorts of electrical problems. No matter what option you choose, these must always be performed by a licensed Edmonton electrician contractor to make sure that all safety protocols are properly taken and the correct installation procedures are executed without any hassle.