Expert Aluminium Wiring Replacement in Winnipeg

It seems like Winnipeg insurance companies and lenders are now questioning the safety of Aluminium wire in homes just like they did with knob and tube wiring. Improper modifications to the electrical system done in an unsafe manner by a unqualified person increase risk of fire. When risk is increased, Winnipeg insurance companies will either charge more OR more common now deny coverage if your home contains aluminium wiring. Lenders also are starting to see the risk too and may decide not to lend. This is even starting to occur when insurance or mortgage renewals are coming due. They are demanding an electrical inspection before any renewal is approved.

In addition, many policies have disclaimers (aka the fine print) stating that coverage is denied if the home contains aluminium or knob and tube wiring. Your home may not even be protected without you even knowing it. The insurancer and lenders may have no idea how your home was wired unless it had been declared beforehand or certified as only copper wiring. The disclaimers are there to protect themselves, not the home owner. In any case, you’ll need to make your insurance company aware and determine what their individual policy is.

Some Winnipeg expert electricians offer a "fix" for aluminium wiring without having to remove or replace it stating a savings on the cost of a house rewire. This "fix" is called pigtailing. A pigtail is where aluminium wire is spliced to a short length of copper wire using a special connector and antioxidant compounds. The copper wire is then attached to the electrical device approved for copper. This process is considered "safer" when done by a certified electrician. However, insurance companies and lenders have started to deny coverage within the United States for homes containing aluminium even if pigtailing was used. It is only a matter of time when this occurs in Canada. You would still have the cost of rewiring along with having spent your hard earned money on pigtailing. Sykes Electric advocates doing the job right the first time and does not recommend pigtailing aluminium wire as a solution.

Aluminium wiring became popular within Winnipeg in the early 60’s and 70's, when the price of aluminium was far below the price of copper. Winnipeg builders, always looking to save some money chose to use aluminium wiring. Not every home built in those years were wired with aluminium, but mostly homes in Windsor Park, Southdale, the Kildonans, and St Vital are known to have this type of wiring. Was aluminium as good as copper? It was known that copper is a better conductor of electricity. The manufacturers and the authorities adjusted for that by using slightly larger aluminium wire to perform the same work as copper. Most branch circuit wiring in homes is 14 gauge copper vs the equivalent aluminium wire is 12 gauge.

Aluminium wire is generally considered safe unless home-owners change light switches, plugs or use the wrong light fixtures. As with many things, if the aluminium wiring in your home was properly installed and has been properly maintained there should be no concerns with respect to fire. However, how has it been maintained and/or upgraded over the years? Tell tale signs that you may have an aluminium wire electrical issue include flickering lights, warm cover plates on switches and receptacles, and burned insulation on wiring. An overheating issue with wire can cause fire.

There are some clear safety concerns with this type of electrical system. What make it even more difficult is that a lot of the aluminium wiring is behind finished walls and ceilings. This make is very difficult if not impossible to fully inspect. Usually home inspectors will look to see if a plug or light is working. Unless they have x-ray machines, they can't see behind finished walls and ceilings. Sometimes new wiring is used in visible areas and "spliced" into the aluminium wiring up in the wall cavity.

Aluminium and copper are dis-similar metals, and as such, expand and contract at different rates.  So when a home-owner replaces a switch with a copper-type switch (for example, Decora type), and connects the aluminium wire to the copper screw, over time the connection can become loosened, causing sparks and possibly fire. The same principle applies with light fixtures and plugs. Approved marrets must be used when installing new lighting to aluminium wiring. For switches and plugs, aluminium rated items must be used. Also, a special oxidation paste must be applied to prevent corrosion. The absence of this paste may lead to wire corrosion which interferes with the flow of electricity. The regular home-owner or handyman maybe unaware of this before making modifications and pigtailing aluminium and copper wires together in junction boxes.

If you have aluminium wiring in your home call us today at (204) 999-1939. Sykes Electric are the best knob and tube removal experts in Winnipeg, hands down. Sykes Electric are fully insured, licensed and certified electricians with over 25 years experience in residential electrical in Winnipeg specializing in Knob and Tube Wiring removal or Aluminium Wiring replacement. In Greater Winnipeg, Sykes Electric have received many positive reviews for their work and handling of these types of jobs. Just check the Better Business Bureau to find out for yourself.

When you need expert knob and tube wiring removal in Winnipeg demand the expert installation that Sykes Electric is known for. Call Glen of Sykes Electric at (204) 999-1939