August2017

Aluminum Wiring Aluminum wiring became popular in between 1965 and 1973 as a substitute for copper wiring in electri- cal branch-circuit wiring. This began due to the increasing cost of copper during this time period. However, aluminum has different metallurgical properties than copper and it can behave differently in an electrical system as it ages. For example, it expands and contracts at a different rate than copper, which may cause it to become loose or disconnected when connected to copper wire, com- monly found in switches, outlets and household appliances. This can lead to potential connection issues that can create fire or electrical shock hazards. The Franklin Research Institute for the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) conducted a national survey which showed that homes built before 1972, and wired with aluminum, are 55 times more likely to have one or more wire con- nections at outlets reach ‘Fire Hazard Conditions’ than homes wired with copper. There are various remediation meth- ods that can be used, not all of which are universally accepted: • Replace with Copper wiring (Best Option): Replacing all of the alumi- num wiring with copper wiring will eliminate any possible electrical hazard related to aluminum wiring. This work will need to be done by a licensed and insured electrician. However, this is the most expensive of all remediation methods and may be very difficult to complete in older buildings. • COPALUM Crimp Method (Widely CONT I NU E S ON PAGE 30

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