Aluminum wiring in the home comes with a fire risk. The new buildings use copper wiring. However, if you have an old building, there can be a chance that it might have aluminum wiring.
If this is the case, you have to be especially attentive to the electrical wiring in your home or building. But how can you identify if your building uses aluminum writing? Below are the three main methods through which you can find the presence of aluminum wiring.
Year of construction:
If you live in an old building, then the year of its construction is what you must look for. The construction year and the guidelines for building control in those years can help you get a better idea.
If you find your building constructed between 1965 and 1973, then it is highly likely the wiring will be made of aluminum.
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Hire an electrician:
Another way to find out if your building has aluminum wiring is to hire an electrician specifically for this purpose.
Here are a few things that your electrician will do for identification purpose:
- Go through the exposed outlets and wiring at different places
- Check the wires that run through the attic and basement.
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Identify the common problems with aluminum wiring:
One of the other ways to get an idea of the utilization of aluminum wiring is to identify the common issues associated with aluminum in the wires. These include:
- The rising temperature of the sockets and switches
- Frequent flickering of the light
- The unusual odor from the electrical sockets
If these issues are common in your building or home, you can ensure that aluminum wiring has been done there.
What’s the solution?
Once you identify that you have aluminum wiring at your building, you must be highly cautious. A complete fire drill must be held with all the possible equipment. It will help the staff and incumbents if the wires catch fire.
In the long run, you must aim to change the entire wiring to the copper wires and get rid of all the aluminum wiring used in your building. It is the only safe option available. To identify or change the aluminum wiring, you must contact a professional electrician. Especially rewiring the house is an intense job and needs an expert to handle it.
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