Is Aluminium Wire Good For Homes
It was during the 1970′s that fitting one’s home with aluminium wire, instead of copper, became popular and started to be used extensively by home owners. One of the reasons for this change was that aluminium wire was more economical than copper wiring. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm was short lived, as a number of houses that were fitted with aluminum wiring were soon found to be implicated in house fires. As a result, people started to look for alternatives to aluminium wiring, and ignored the fact that many of these fire incidents had been a result of improper installation and fixtures, and not only because of the aluminum wiring.
The reason behind the fires caused due to aluminium wire also lies in the nature of this metal. When aluminium wiring gets warm, it expands. When it cools down, it contracts. Because of repeated expansions and contractions, the wiring loses its tightness. Also, aluminium goes through the processes of oxidation and corrosion when it comes in contact with other metals. This increases the resistance of the connection which causes the wire to heat up resulting in the fixture to melt and causing a possible fire.
Guidelines to follow for Aluminium wire
Even though Aluminium wire is considered to be an unsafe option when compared to the much more common copper wiring, there are certain precautions, which if followed, will make a home with aluminum wiring as safe as the one with copper wiring.
Here are a few steps that you can follow to make your aluminum wired home a safe place to live in:
• Hire a professional electrician to check the condition of the wiring at your home.
• Wires should be connected properly around the screw in a clockwise direction.
• Remove the push in terminals in the house and replace them with proper screw connections
• Any sign of overheating in the fixtures should be immediately attended to and repaired by a professional.
How to deal with an emergency related to Aluminium wire
If you live in a home fitted with aluminium wire, you should be mentally alert to notice any symptoms related to an emergency that may occur because of the aluminum wiring. The telltale signs of an emergency related to aluminum wire are flickering lights, burning smell, smoke from fixtures or outlets and heated fixtures. In any of these situations, call your electrician immediately. In case of an emergency where you can’t wait till the electrician arrives, turn off the circuit or cap the wires. Alternately, when your electrician arrives, he will replace the outlet or switch.
Sometimes, the best option, though not the most practical, will be to rewire your home with copper wire. This is a solution that will turn out to be expensive, especially if you live in a big house. But in certain cases, it is the safest, and the only, option. The rewiring can be done by any professional electrician.
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