Aluminum
Wiring Repair AMP Copalum
Aluminum
vs. Copper – How Are You Wired?
Special Offer: $200
Off Whole Home Aluminum Wiring Repair
Winter has arrived, and with it our space heaters, extra
lighting, and holiday cooking. Just like the Air Conditioners,
Ceiling Fans, Attic Fans, and Swimming Pools of Summer,
this increased power use can cause problems with the
electrical system to appear, such as it not being large
enough to handle everything. A much more dangerous problem
exists if the home has deteriorating Aluminum Wiring.
The United State Consumer Products Safety Commission
estimates that the likelihood of having an electrical
related fire is 55 times higher with a house wired with
aluminum wiring, than one wired with copper wire. Between
the years 1965 and 1972, approximately 2 ½ million
homes were constructed with aluminum wiring.
The wiring that is of major concern is the single strand
solid aluminum wiring, connected to the smaller branch
circuits supplying receptacles, switches, lights, and
appliances such as dishwashers, furnaces, etc. Corrosion
of the metals in the connection, particularly the aluminum
wire itself, causes increased resistance to the flow
of electric current and that resistance causes overheating.
Most modern homes have some aluminum wiring, including
the main service wires, and the heavier 240 volt circuits
that feed other major appliances, such as ranges and
air conditioners. The higher voltage wiring does not
present the same risk as 15, 20 and 30 amp circuit wiring.
Signs of trouble in aluminum wire systems include:
- Cover plates on outlets or switches that are warm-to-the-touch
- Flickering lights
- Circuits that don’t work, or work intermittently.
- The smell of burning plastic at outlets, switches,
or lighting
- Smoking outlets, switches, or lighting
- Tripping circuit breakers, for no apparent reason
- Unusual static on the radio or TV
Unfortunately, not all failing aluminum wired connections
provide such easily detected warning signs, as they
can fail without any prior indications or problems.
What The Homeowner Can Do?
If you have noticed any of the trouble signs, have a
qualified electrician determine whether the problem
is caused by deteriorating aluminum connections. DO
NOT TRY TO DO IT YOURSELF. You could be electrocuted
or you could make the connections worse by disturbing
them. If you are not certain whether your home has aluminum
wiring, you may be able to tell by looking at the markings
on the surface of the electric cables which are visible
in unfinished basements, attics, or garages. Aluminum
wiring will have “AL” or “Aluminum”
marked every few feet along the length of the cable.
Can the Problem Be Fixed?
Since it may be impractical or prohibitively expensive
to rewire most homes, the Consumer Products Safety Commission,
through research, laboratory tests, and demonstration
projects, has identified only one method of repairing
aluminum wiring that meets the following criteria;
- 1) Must repair every connection to, or splice between,
aluminum wire in the home.
- 2) The repaired connections must be permanent, but
must result in a system that can be maintained without
the need for special switches, outlets, or connectors.
- 3) The repair technique must be practical for use
in an occupied and furnished home.
The only repair method that meets these criteria is
the Amp Copalum® system. This repair consists of
attaching a piece of copper wire to the existing aluminum
wire with a specially designed metal sleeve, which is
crimped to 10,000 psi using a powered crimping tool.
The sleeve and tool are matched and are only available
through Amp Copalum® certified electricians, who
are thoroughly trained by the manufacturer in the proper
use of this tool. This system makes a permanent connection,
which is in effect a cold weld.
Two other repair methods are often recommended by electricians
who don’t have access to the Copalum System.
While these methods are less expensive than the Amp
Copalum process, neither of these repairs is considered
acceptable by the Consumer Safety Products Commission
for solving the problem of overheating aluminum wiring
circuits. It is possible that some pig tailing“repairs”
made with twist-on connectors may be even more prone
to failure than the original aluminum wire connections.
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Download
U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission brochure (.pdf)
But another electrician
has told me that purple wire nuts are just as good and
they're cheaper.
Is that true? (.pdf)
For more visit these sites: Aluminum
Wiring Information Website
What
Homeowners need
to Know about Aluminum Wiring |
