Aluminum Wiring Assessment & Replacement

Aluminum Wiring in Oregon Homes: Understanding the Risk

Between 1965 and 1973, a nationwide copper shortage led home builders to substitute aluminum for copper in residential branch circuit wiring. While aluminum conducts electricity effectively, it has a critical physical property that makes it dangerous in residential applications: it expands and contracts at a significantly different rate than the copper terminals on outlets, switches, and breakers. Over decades of heating and cooling cycles, this differential expansion causes aluminum wires to loosen at their connection points. Loose connections create high electrical resistance, which generates intense heat, and this heat can ignite surrounding wood and insulation, causing fires that often start inside walls where they are invisible. Oregon homeowners with aluminum wiring have two primary remediation options: AlumiConn connector pig-tailing, which installs a certified connector at each device to safely join the aluminum wire to a short copper pigtail, or complete copper rewiring, which replaces all aluminum branch circuits with modern copper wiring. Both options are code-compliant and accepted by insurance companies. Our team will assess your home and recommend the most cost-effective and safest solution for your specific situation.