How Dangerous Is Aluminum Wiring?

We frequently get questions at Eavenston Electric Co. about how dangerous it is to deal with aluminum wiring. People generally want to know something like this because they have a project involving aluminum wiring. Maybe they are doing aluminum wiring replacement or something similar, and they just need some advice and understanding about the work that they are attempting to pull off. There is nothing wrong with that. We strongly encourage them to ask their questions and get real answers from professionals like ourselves. 

Connections Are the Problem 

You might be looking at an aluminum wiring rejuvenation project and think to yourself that the aluminum wires don’t seem dangerous at all to you. In a sense you are right. The aluminum wires themselves are not the dangerous part. They are designed to conduct electricity just fine. The problem comes in when you look at the connections that those wires are hooked up to. That is when things can get very dangerous and uncertain. 

Sadly, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that homes with aluminum wiring connections are 55 times more likely to catch fire than those that have copper wire connections.

It is extremely frightening for people with aluminum wire connections to think that they might be subjecting their home and themselves to significantly higher fire risk levels than they otherwise might. It is no laughing matter, and it is no wonder there are so many people afraid of what could potentially happen if they don’t handle their aluminum wiring situation just right. 

Have an Electrician Fix the Issue

It isn’t practical in most situations to completely rewire your entire house if it happens to have aluminum wiring. However, an electrician can make aluminum wires safer by adding a copper wire section at the end of each aluminum wire. In other words, the electrician can get in there and replace a small section of each part of your aluminum wiring with a little piece of copper wiring to help resolve the issue. It is a very big deal when they can come in to help you like this, and there is no doubt that electricians have an incredibly challenging job. 

You should reach out to an electrician that you know you can count on to solve the problem. He or she will be able to work with you to resolve the issue ASAP, and you can start to make some serious progress on the wiring issues that are currently present in your home. If you are willing to work with these professionals, they can help you with a lot of the heavy lifting that comes with getting your home fixed up how it needs to be. 

Don’t take a risk by leaving your aluminum wiring in place. You deserve to get a better outcome from the electrical situation in your home, and a great way to make that happen is to look at having an electrician help you resolve the issues. 

Categorised in: Aluminum Wire

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