There are many homes, offices, and industrial units that are using aluminum wiring. However, very few people are aware of the fact that it can pose a great deal of risk and fire hazards. As the cost of copper wiring took a hike, people starting opting for aluminum wire for electrical branch circuits as it is a more economical substitute to copper wire. Soon, numerous complaints came into light such as overheated outlets, switches, and fires, drawing a significant amount of attention and initiating research to identify the causes and corrective measures.
As a result, there were many manufacturing changes done for the electrical industry to improve the safety of aluminum wire and connectors. However, despite these efforts there remains considerable controversy and confusion over the safety of aluminum wiring even today. Aluminum wiring can still be found in wall receptacles, switches and cable connections (e.g., fans, furnaces, light fixtures, etc.) It has 5 potential deficiencies, such as:
. Brittleness:
It is a fact that aluminum wiring is considerably more brittle than copper wiring. The point of connection or termination is where most breaks occur, causing a potential fire and other serious hazards.
. Cold Flow:
It is very obvious that electricity will pass through aluminum wires and sometimes the load can be a little too much, heating up the wires. But the issue with aluminum wires is that they deform forms at a higher rate than copper under heat.
. Expansion:
Another problem that aluminum wires cause is that they expand up to 30 percent more than copper wires when get heated.
. Oxidation:
Aluminum wires corrode from oxidation and that too pretty quickly, especially when compared with copper wire. This means that the former reduces educing the ability to conduct electric, leading to power failures and other serious problems on a regular basis.
. Workmanship:
After going through the issues mentioned above about aluminum wires, you must have realized that these physical properties make it is essential to pay greater care during installation to prevent damaging the conductor.
So, it is pretty much evident that technology aluminum wiring can cause loose connections that can lead to over-heating, arcing and sparking. All this can further ignite dust, insulation or other surrounding combustible materials causing building fire. We all know that most receptacles, switches, and cable connections are concealed within the walls, floor or ceiling. So if fire ignites, it will go undetected until it gets out of control and causing serious damage.
Use of Aluminum Wiring
If you are still adamant on using aluminum wiring, you must get all repairs and installation work done by a competent person, notably a licensed electrician.
If your home or office building is quite old, you can get it checked for warm electrical switch or receptacle face plates. When you notice flickering lights when the bulb is in otherwise good condition, and the odor of melting or burning plastic, you must contact a professional at the earliest to avoid any kind of hazard.
