Aluminum Wiring
Replacement
5 MIN READ
Written By:
RES Staff
Reviewed By:
Billy Mendoza
Master Electrician
Summary: If your home was built before the mid-1970s, it may be wired with aluminum instead of copper. Aluminum wiring replacement addresses a real safety concern: aluminum expands and contracts more than copper, which can loosen connections at outlets, switches, and panels over time. Residential Electrical Services inspects, repairs, or fully replaces aluminum wiring with copper for homeowners in Friendswood, Pearland, and Bay Area Houston.
To schedule a repair or installation, fill out our brief online form below for a FREE ESTIMATE or call 281-482-VOLT (8658) today!
Electrical Services
Is Your Home Wired With Aluminum?
Homes built roughly between 1965 and the mid-1970s are the most likely candidates for aluminum wiring in this area. If your home falls in that range and you have never had an aluminum wiring inspection, it is worth checking, especially before a remodel, a home sale, or an insurance renewal.
Look for these signs. If you notice two or more at the same time, it is time to call:
- Outlet or switch covers that feel warm to the touch
- Discoloration or scorch marks around an outlet or switch
- Lights that flicker without an obvious cause, like a loose bulb
- Breakers that trip repeatedly for no clear reason
- A faint burning smell near an outlet, switch, or the panel
Do not remove cover plates or touch exposed wiring to check for yourself. If you suspect aluminum wiring, call a licensed electrician.
Why Aluminum Wiring Replacement Matters
Aluminum does not conduct electricity as efficiently as copper, and it expands and contracts more with changes in temperature. Over years, that movement can loosen the connection where the wire meets a switch, outlet, or breaker. A loose connection resists the flow of current, and that resistance generates heat. Heat at a connection point is what creates fire risk, not the aluminum wire itself.
Having aluminum wiring in your home does not mean something is about to catch fire. Plenty of homes with aluminum wiring go decades without an incident. It does mean the wiring is worth a look, particularly if you have never had an aluminum wiring inspection or if you notice any of the warning signs above. It also matters for reasons beyond safety: some insurance policies flag aluminum wiring, and it can come up during a home sale or inspection.
Get a straight answer before you decide.
Aluminum Wiring Inspection: What We Look For
When we inspect a home for aluminum wiring, this is what you can expect:
- We check the panel, accessible junction boxes, and a sample of outlets and switches throughout the house, since aluminum wiring is not always used consistently on every circuit.
- We use infrared scanning to spot connections running hotter than they should, often before any visible sign of trouble shows up.
- We run continuity testing at connection points to check whether a connection is carrying current the way it should or has started to degrade.
- And we run a load calculation on the circuit to confirm it’s not carrying more than the wiring was ever meant to handle, which matters more on an aluminum-wired circuit than on copper.
- We look for discoloration, corrosion, and looseness at each connection point too. We tell you exactly what we find, circuit by circuit, before we recommend anything.
Our Process for Aluminum Wiring Replacement
Our process for aluminum wiring replacement is the same as it is for all of our electrical services. We show up when we say we will. We diagnose before we quote, so you get a recommendation based on what we actually find in your home, not a guess. We explain your options in plain language, including what pigtailing and full replacement each involve, and we let you decide. We pull the required permits and get the work inspected. When the job is done, we walk you through what was done and clean up after ourselves.
We inspect the wiring, tell you exactly what we find, and give you a clear recommendation before any work begins.
Full Replacement vs. Aluminum Wiring Pigtailing (CO/ALR Devices)
There are two paths to correcting aluminum wiring, and the right one depends on your home.
- Aluminum wiring pigtailing splices a short section of copper wire onto the end of each aluminum wire using a CO/ALR-rated connector, then connects that copper pigtail to the outlet, switch, or fixture. It corrects the connection point without opening walls, which makes it a practical option for a home where the aluminum wiring itself is otherwise in decent shape.
- Full aluminum wiring replacement pulls new copper wire through the home in place of the aluminum. It is more involved, but it is often the right call during a renovation, when walls are already open, or if an inspection turns up wiring in worse condition.
We do not default to the more expensive option. We tell you what we found, what each approach involves, and what it would cost, and you make the call.
Aluminum Wiring Remediation for Insurance and Home Sales
Aluminum wiring remediation for insurance comes up more often than homeowners expect. Some insurers require it before issuing or renewing a policy, and some apply a surcharge if a home has aluminum wiring on file. If a home inspector flags aluminum wiring during a sale, buyers and lenders often want documentation that it has been addressed before closing.
We provide a clear explanation of what we found and what was done, which homeowners have used for insurance and real estate purposes.
Related Wiring Services in Older Homes
Aluminum wiring is one of several issues common in older homes throughout Friendswood, Pearland, and Bay Area Houston. If your home also needs a grounding inspection or has underground wiring that needs attention, we can address those in the same visit. For a broader look at what older homes commonly need, see our Wiring, Rewiring and Older Homes page.
Call us if something doesn't look or feel right.
Aluminum Wiring Replacement FAQ
Should aluminum wiring be replaced?
Should aluminum wiring be replaced?
Not always immediately, but it should be inspected. If the wiring shows no warning signs and passes inspection, pigtailing the connections is often enough. If the wiring is deteriorated or a renovation already has the walls open, full aluminum wiring replacement is usually the better long-term fix.
Does Residential Electrical Services replace all aluminum wiring, or just do pigtail fixes, and which is safer long term?
Does Residential Electrical Services replace all aluminum wiring, or just do pigtail fixes, and which is safer long term?
Both approaches are safe when done correctly. We inspect the wiring first and recommend pigtailing when the connections are the main concern, or full replacement when the wiring itself is deteriorated or you are already renovating. We explain the tradeoffs so you can decide what makes sense for your home and budget.
Is it expensive to replace aluminum wiring?
Is it expensive to replace aluminum wiring?
It depends on whether your home needs pigtailing at individual connections or a full aluminum wiring replacement throughout the house, and how accessible the wiring is. We diagnose the scope first and give you a clear, itemized estimate before any work begins. There is no fixed price until we know what your home actually needs.
Will insurance cover a house with aluminum wiring?
Will insurance cover a house with aluminum wiring?
Many insurers still cover homes with aluminum wiring, but some require an inspection or aluminum wiring remediation before issuing or renewing a policy, and some apply a surcharge. Check with your insurance provider directly, and we can provide documentation of any work performed if your insurer requests it.
Can you sell a house with aluminum wiring?
Can you sell a house with aluminum wiring?
Yes. Aluminum wiring does not prevent a home sale, but it often comes up during a buyer’s inspection. Having the wiring inspected and, if needed, remediated ahead of time can prevent delays or renegotiation at closing.