Generation 3 Electric was called out to a 1960s Philadelphia home because the outlet started to spark. This is a scary situation for any homeowner. The homeowner removed the outlet and smartly called a professional electrician (G3E) to look at the situation. This is a picture of the electrical box when we arrived at the home.

When we arrived, G3E technician noticed immediately that the home was wired with Aluminum Wires. Aluminum wires look like modern wires except the metal is silver instead of gold. The wires are slightly thicker then copper wire and much lighter. Aluminum is a much softener wire then copper. If it is handled incorrectly the wire can fatigue and break. It also corrodes differently than copper. This is a problem when attaching AL wire to electrical equipment that was designed for CU.

Aluminum wiring was only used for a short time in the 1960s during a copper shortage. At that time it was a cost effective solution for new houses. Now, some 50 years later, G3E recommends that the aluminum wiring be removed. The wire becomes more dangerous as it ages. AL corrodes and weakens much faster than CU. A 50 year old piece of AL wire can be broken by hand without any tools.

You can see here in this picture where the aluminum wire started to spark and almost caught fire. The outlet was never designed to work with AL wiring. The screw terminal is a CU post. Outlets that you purchase at your local home centers are normally stamped with the type of wire they work with on their yokes (frames). Incorrectly matching the devices to the wire is just another of the many problems that homes with aluminum wiring face.

Click here to view our Wire Size Chart and learn more about the differences between aluminum and copper wiring.

Generation 3 Electric is dedicated to the safety of our Philadelphia neighbors. Contact us to schedule an appointment to inspect your homes wiring and prevent fires.