This article will provide you with unreserved and unbiased perspectives on aluminum wiring, especially its pros and cons.
What is Aluminum Wiring?
Aluminum wire is a line that is utilized for electrical wiring in houses, power grids, and airplanes. It is mostly used as an alternative to copper wire because of its malleability and affordability.
How Do I Know I Have Aluminum Wiring?
Below are a couple of tips for identifying if your home or space has aluminum wiring.
Note: We recommend you reach out to an electrician to figure out your wiring connection for you, and to prevent fire hazards.
Know when the house was built.
Do you know when the house or rooms were built? Do you know the last time it was rewired? It is generally observed that homes built or rewired between 1965 and 1973 may contain aluminum wiring. Due to the upsurge in the price of copper and the marketing of aluminum wiring as a viable option, many homeowners and tenants used aluminum wiring for their space.
Check for the label ‘Aluminum’.
Without opening any wiring or panels, you can look out for the word ‘Aluminum on wire jackets in your attic or electric panels.
Check your wire gauge number.
You may also want to check your wire gauge number where wiring is readily visible. If the wire gauge is 12, then it most likely contains aluminum wiring. Wire gauge 14 indicates copper wiring most times. However, you can’t be too sure depending on who did the wiring or rewiring.
Consult an electrician
The safest and surest way to confirm if you have aluminum wiring is to reach out to a professional electrician.
3 Benefits of Aluminum Wiring
- It is significantly more affordable.
- It is easier to use because it is lighter and malleable.
- It is great for long-distance wiring connections.
4 Consequences of Aluminum Wiring
- It is vulnerable to corrosion.
- It has a shorter life span compared to copper wire.
- It easily softens, so it is susceptible to breakage and losing connections
- It has a poorer electric conductor compared to copper wire
Our Thoughts
Based on the above submission, we advise that you use copper wiring for home use, especially for home appliances and gadgets. Copper wiring has high durability and high conductivity. It is not prone to melting when there is overheating, unlike aluminum wiring. Though copper wiring is more expensive and heavier than aluminum; it is better and safer in the long run.
Reach out to us at Elcon Electric. We have certified electricians who can check your electrical system to determine if you have any aluminum wiring that needs to be rewired with copper. This will ensure that you have years of problem-free connections.