As an electrician contractor,we know that not all wiring is created equal, and in addition, not every home uses the same wiring.  First off, you have to know whether you have aluminum or copper wiring.

Aluminum Wiring: An Electrician’s Dilemma

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First off, from the perspective that only an electrician can offer, we have nothing against aluminum wiring.  It has been proven to conduct electricity better than copper, it is more affordable than copper is and it is durable. Utility companies have used aluminum wire in their power grids since the early 20th Century. Aluminum costs and weighs less than copper, and it  is still the preferred wiring standard today.   The problem lies in when you try to mix and match copper and aluminum, and for older homes that were wired in the 60s and 70s, as this Wikipedia article excerpt shows:

Electricians and Wiring Replacement

Electricians are often ambivalent about aluminum wiring because of potential issues. Another issue is the joining of aluminum wire to copper wire. As aluminum and copper are dissimilar metals, galvanic corrosion can occur in the presence of an electrolyte and these connections can become unstable over time. Aluminum wire used before the mid-1970s has a coefficient of expansion that varies significantly from the metals common in devices, outlets, switches, and screws. Many terminations of aluminum wire installed in the 1960s and 1970s continue to operate with no problems. However, problems can develop in the future and some connections were not made properly when installed, including not wrapping wires around terminal screws and inadequate torque on the connection screws. There can also be problems with connections made with too much torque as it causes damage to the wire. [READ MORE]

Ok, what if  you have aluminum wiring?  First off, it’s not a coiled snake or a time-bomb, so take a deep breath and relax.  If you are really worried, call in an electrician contractor to replace the aluminum wiring with copper.

If you’re worried about aluminum wiring call in Dodge Electric to check out your wiring before it is a problem. Dodge Electric is a professional electrician contractor serving the Greater Phoenix Area.

Dodge Electric
781 South Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ 85225
(480) 926-1033
http://www.dodgeelectric.com