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Aluminum wiring

I recently moved into a house with aluminum wiring and am considering converting over to copper. Is there a benefit to converting for sound quality?
mlawitm
elevick
2,638 posts
 
Blindjim is right on. My old house had aluminim. My electrician told me to use analube (or similar) on every connection I could get to without opening up walls. It keeps the Aluminim from corroding.

Re-wiring an entire house is not feasable for most of us. Taking off switch plates and outlet covers to brush on grease is simply another Sunday project.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,453 posts
 
Problem with aluminum is that has different thermal expansion coefficient and connections on wall outlets can get loose over time causing exposed wire surface oxidation and sparking/overheating (aluminum oxide is isolator). There are special wall receptacles for aluminum wiring marked CO/ALR.
magfan
1,583 posts
 
My version of 'the problem with aluminum wiring' is that it was being used with connectors designed for Copper. Than, some of the above referenced problems start to happen. If aluminum was used with connectors and outlets designed for it I still don't know if it was OK?
I'd tend to want to refit with copper and all new everything.

I'll bet that single crystal copper would sound better than silver. just kidding.
eddaytona
216 posts
 
The major problem with Al wire is that the ends connected to the various boxes/outlets etc. corrode over time. Al corrosion/oxidation is not conductive whereas copper's is. That is why the house fires (in very new housing at the time too) occured and Al wiring was ultimately banned in many jurisdictions.
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