Aluminum Wiring

[Legal Concepts]

Our old Trailer has aluminum wiring, should it be redone? What is the dangers of using old pre-existing alumium wiring?

[HayZee518]

Straight aluminum wiring has been an issue ever since they came out with it. Copper clad aluminum is lesser an issue but the core is still aluminum. the old style receptacles weren't aluminum rated and half the guys that put them in didn't torque the connections, so they would heat up. Personally I wouldn't use it except for the service entrance and sub panel feeders. Aluminum oxidizes as soon as you strip the insulation and if you don't use an anti-oxidant can be hazardous. Aluminum wire doesn't spring back as does copper. It squishes down and stays there, copper offers some resiliency. As long as your receptacles and lights aren't disturbed i.e. changing them out, and the connections are tight and anti-oxident was used I wouldn't worry. but if you change a fixture I'd replace the wire.

[Denver]

Aluminium wires it is bad. It is necessary to use only copper...

[HayZee518]

If you are continually replacing fixtures or receptacles, yes, I would replace it. aluminum wire is less dense than copper. copper offers less resistance than aluminum. Service entrance conductors are aluminum because once the joint is made up, it isn't disturbed or touched. aluminum oxidizes very fast and forms a protective oxide which isn't conductive. try this experiment: take a piece of aluminum wire and a piece of copper and screw it onto a receptacle screw. tighten the connection. after about a half hour, try tightening it again. you'll see the aluminum, you'll be able to take up at least another turn and a half on it whereas the copper won't budge. another half hour look at the aluminum. its getting squished - eventually it will be so malformed it will break if you flex the joint.

[DKAudio]

I would rewire it. I actually just got done rewiring my WHOLE house because it was aluminum copper clad. The insulation was cracking too. I feel much better now that it is copper. You could also add more outlets/circuits to since it will be pretty easy at that point. I must have added 20 outlets throughout the house.