Builders started replacing aluminum wiring for
copper wiring in homes from 1965-1973 when
copper prices soared. In addition to the estimated
2 million homes that were built or modified with
aluminum during the eight years when it was the
cheaper alternative to copper.

Branch-circuit wires distribute electricity to each
room from the service panel. They are the wires
that run to lights, switches and most outlets.

The problem is not the wire itself or the insulating
cable, but the connections where the splices are.
When aluminum wiring warms up, it expands. When
it cools down, it contracts. Unlike copper, when
aluminum goes through a number of warm/cool
cycles it loses a bit of tightness each time. To
make the problem worse, aluminum oxidises, or
corrodes when in contact with certain types of
metal. Eventually the wire may start getting very
hot, melt the insulation or fixture it's attached to,
and possibly even cause a fire.

 

Carmine Says: "It is a good idea to have the Aluminum wires removed from your house- if you choose to live with the wire- you must have all connections checked and tightened to avoid complications every few years."