Your home's electrical wiring system is one of your home's MVPs. Everything from your lights, appliances, and heating and cooling elements operate with a little boost from electrical power. With that much riding on your home's electrical system, you will want to make sure it's in tip-top condition. That means upgrading your home from aluminum wiring to copper wiring. Over the years, aluminum wiring can begin to degrade. Even if you don't need it now, you will later. Read on to learn why you should add a copper wiring upgrade to your to-do list.
Illuminated by Aluminum Wiring
Now, you might be wondering about whether your home's wiring is aluminum or not. A quick guide is this: if your home was built between 1965-1972, it's likely that the house is wired with aluminum. At the time, there was a big construction boom, which drove up building prices significantly. Because of this, aluminum wiring was viewed as an affordable alternative to copper wiring. As you'll read, this can cause bigger issues later. Now, don't worry too much. This doesn't mean your wiring itself is unsafe. Aluminum, in fact, conducts electricity well and does so safely. It's in the connection points that aluminum can begin to cause problems.
Feeling Wired: Copper Wiring Upgrades
If aluminum was viewed as an affordable option, what changed? Well, one very important thing. Aluminum itself isn't unsafe. Unfortunately, aluminum wiring becomes dangerous when it connects to another wiring material, like copper. This includes connection locations like outlets, switches, fans, lighting connections and more. These connection points were never designed to connect to aluminum. When aluminum comes into contact with copper where your wires connect, the copper will actually corrode the aluminum wire. If that isn't dramatic enough, this corrosion can cause arcs and fires. Arcs and fires mean danger, so if you suspect your home has aluminum wires, it's time to call in the experts.
Got Aluminum Wiring? Here Are Your Options
Got aluminum wiring in your house? You might be wondering what your options are to upgrade your wiring system to make your house safer. To address it, one option is to totally rewire your house. This is a surefire way to make sure your home is wired correctly, safely, and with the right copper wiring. Unfortunately, this is also the most expensive route. Rewiring your home might not be a feasible option, but there are other things you can do. While your aluminum wiring is grandfathered in code-wise, electricians can add a dielectric wire nut approved for aluminum wire. It has special grease that prevents dangerous corrosion. Retrofitting those connection points can offer a more affordable option for homeowners needing to upgrade their aluminum wiring.
Power Up by Calling the Experts
If your home has aluminum wiring, or if your home was built between 1965-1972 and you suspect it might have aluminum wiring, it's time to call an electrician. Sierra Electrical Ltd. are residential and commercial electricians serving Edmonton and its surrounding areas. We are committed to putting you, your home, and your family first. We offer a range of services to bring your home or office up to code, including solutions to upgrade your home's aluminum wiring. Call us today for reliable, timely, and efficient services to get your home back to lighting your way safely.