Aluminum Wiring
I located a good deal (in FL) but discovered that the house has aluminum wiring. Is that something that I should be concerned with? I am not going to be doing any new additions to the house or anything; just some basic rehab (10K or so).
What would be my concerns with aluminum wiring if any? Insuring the property, getting financing, etc.
Thanks...
Radoonz,
Aluminum wiring expands and contracts more with heat so connections at switches, recepticles, breakers, etc can become loose causing shorts and potential fire hazards. Aluminum wiring can also get hot spots and melt. Get a licensed electrician to evaluate the condition of the complete electrical system or have a good home inspector out and emphasize your wiring concerns. My dad just sold one of his rentals a few months ago the aluminum wiring had a few areas where the wiring was hot and had melted the sheathing in the attic. You can splice in with copper using special connectors for copper to aluminum connections. If your somewhat handy basic wiring repairs are generally simple and the parts cheap. Again you need to start with an inspection from a qualified electrical contractor, etc.
check with local code and housing standards... board of realtors should have a pamphlet on it....
or if there is a local builders association...
Thanks... I will check with the BOR for information locally and I make sure the rehab guy (electrical) checks behind face plates, connections at the box, etc.
Thanks for the help!