This is one of the reasons many people prefer to buy a new home, they are willing to sacrifice a mature neighborhood and location for the peace of mind a modern home brings.
At the end of the day it comes down to personal preference but most of the potentially hazardous conditions that come with owning an older home have solutions, unfortunately implementing these solutions often comes down to money.
Buying a House with Aluminum Wiring June 1, Share on Facebook. Follow us. Search for:. Asbestos in Homes. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Last Name. I have some more questions Ask Away! We are happy to answer any questions. This is how aluminum wiring can cause fires.
It can overheat more easily than copper and start electrical fires by slowly damaging its insulation and heating things around it. The issues are caused by oxidation and other factors that lead to overheating where the wiring is connected at splices, outlets, and light fixtures.
Aluminum wire might become dangerous because the issues that make it inferior all contribute to it wearing down. Special measures can be taken to make aluminum wiring safe, and some homes may already have these measures in place. Once you know the state of your wiring you can determine whether you need the implementation of safety measures or a complete rewiring.
You might not need to have any aluminum repair work done at all. If the home is properly wired and does not show signs of fire risks or faulty wiring, you can rest easy knowing your home is safe. If the aluminum wiring is in good condition and you are trying to delay the repairs for a while, have an electrician with experience in aluminum wiring repairs inspect some heavily used circuits, then go over the process once a year.
Homeowners today are finding many insurers might not provide or renew insurance coverage on these houses unless the wiring is inspected, repaired, or replaced as needed, and a copy of the Certificate of Inspection is given to the insurer.
You should check with your insurance company for their requirements. If repairs are necessary, remember that if you hire someone to do electrical work in your home, it must be a Licensed Electrical Contractor by law. It is recommended you hire someone experienced with aluminum wiring.
This can be a lengthy process and should only be done by a trained electrician who knows how to work with AL and who uses proper materials and care to ensure that the aluminum is not damaged, causing hot spots and risk of fire. Strippers, pliers, and marrettes will all damage the aluminum conductors.
During a recent class, we had a real estate agent question the need for anything to be done about aluminum wiring, taking that stance that this is a perfectly good product with a bad reputation. The service wires coming into homes consists of aluminum wiring, and there are plenty of aluminum volt circuits in use today. That stuff is all fine. That stuff had a lot of problems. Here are a few key points about aluminum wiring, which comes from three authoritative documents at the end of this blog post:.
The problem with aluminum wiring is that it expands and contracts at a high rate, which can lead to loose connections. Connections between aluminum and copper can also cause oxidation, resistance, heat, increased expansion… you get the picture.
All of that can lead to a fire. We find aluminum wiring during our home inspections about once a month. The problem with this assumption is that when new owners move in, they will put different demands on the system. Pull outlets out of the wall once a month and carefully inspect the connections for overheating?
Get out. You can read about how the individual repairs would be made here: Aluminum Wiring Repairs. I contacted the company that provides this product and was informed that there is not a single certified contractor in Minnesota.
This involves pigtailing aluminum wires to copper wires at every place the wires begin and end. Every receptacle needs to be pulled and re-wired. Every switch. Every junction box. Every everything. Not only that, but have you ever replaced an old outlet and had a difficult time getting the wires to fit back into the box properly?
Just imagine at least three of these devices and twice as much wire at every box. Will every single junction box be found? Maybe, maybe not. Seattle home inspector Charles Buell shared a story some time ago about how he was hired to check on some repairs that were made at a home that he had previously inspected, and he found at least one junction box and one light fixture that had been missed. You can read about it here: incomplete aluminum wiring repairs. The surest and most complete repair is to have aluminum wiring replaced.
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