Home Wiring Copper Vs Aluminum

Some homeowners become concerned if they find out that they have aluminum wire in their home. Back in the day electricians chose aluminum wiring over copper wire because of one obvious reason its price.

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Aluminum alloy building wires called the 800 alloy is also used for low voltage feeders saving on costs when compared to copper which is also significantly heavier in weight as well.

Home wiring copper vs aluminum. They automatically assume that aluminum wiring is unsafe and copper should always be used. This shift in materials was due to copper shortages that kept the prices out of reach for home wiring. For a period of time in in the 1960s there was a push to wire homes using aluminum rather than copper. If improperly installed aluminum wiring can raise the risk of a house fire. Copper wiring which one is better for your home. A lot of homes that were built back in the mid 60s till mid 70s used aluminum wiring instead of the pricier copper wires. The awg american wire gauge rating of 12 aluminum wiring is equivalent to 14 copper wiring. However from the late 1970s its popularity waned until it picked up again in the 1990s. How do i investigate if my home has aluminum and copper wiring for sure. Almost all reported problems involved 10 awg and 12 awg branch circuit connections. The truth about copper vs aluminum wiring. Usage of this wiring for residential purposes was extensive from about the mid 1960s. Aluminum building wires have half the weight of copper. Both are rated for 15 amps so use only the t5 amp rated glass fuse cartridge fuse or breaker for aluminum wiring stamped either 122 or 123. Aluminum wiring was preferred over copper wiring largely due to the rising factor of the price of copper and therefore aluminum wiring was economical.

Many questions arise when aluminum and copper are wired in a home. Perhaps you have some questions about whether aluminum wiring is suitable for your home. From the 1960s up to the mid 1970s aluminum wiring was sometimes used for branch circuit wiring instead of copper wiring. Aluminum was used as a far cheaper wiring replacement in the construction of many track style homes. Do i have to rewire my whole home. In the 1960s and 1970s due to the high price of copper relative to aluminum this grade of aluminum began to be popularly used for household wiring. Regardless of its high cost copper. The use of steel screws with utility grade aluminum wire resulted in a connection point that was more sensitive than copper or aluminum wire terminated with the previously used brass screws. Due to low quality workmanship at connections and the physical differences between aluminum and copper high resistance connections formed and became a fire hazard.