The problem propagates itself because the longer it goes on, the worse it gets. Overheating and other wire damages take place over time. Continuing with activities of daily living. Builders switched to aluminum in the mid-1960s because it was lighter and less expensive than copper. Aluminum is so much lighter that even when wire size is doubled, it still weighs less than copper.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) has identified homes wired with aluminum as far more likely to reach "fire hazard conditions" than those wired with copper. Not all homes inevitably catch fire, but the danger lies in the inability to tell how well the aluminum wiring was installed. What to Do When You Find Aluminum Wiring In a Home If you are thinking of buying a home built between the mid-1960s and 1972, then you need to learn whether it was wired with aluminum.
Alloys of steel and aluminum were put into use around 1972, but the USCPSC has noted problems can still arise in those homes. Those changes mean that the connections can work themselves loose. The hazard results from changes in aluminum when it expands from heat as compared with the various metals utilized in switches, screws, outlets, or other hardware. _ |