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Had a debate with an old timer about aluminum wiring and now I'm second guessing myself
I was on a job in a 1970s house last month, and the homeowner had a friend stop by who used to wire houses back in the 60s and 70s. He saw me recommending full copper rewire to the customer, and he called me out. Said aluminum wiring done right with proper antioxidant paste and torque specs is just as safe as copper. Told me he has aluminum in his own house for 40 years with zero issues. Made me realize I've been parroting what everyone says without actually looking at the data. Now I'm wondering if we electricians push copper too hard just because it's easier to work with, not because aluminum is actually dangerous. Has anyone here run long term tests on properly installed aluminum vs copper in the same house?
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harris.aaron2mo ago
Parroting what everyone says without actually looking at the data." That was me for years. I heard aluminum was bad and just went with it. Then I actually looked into it after a similar chat with an old timer. The problem isn't the aluminum itself, it's the connections. If you get the right connectors, use the antioxidant paste, and torque those screws to spec, it holds up fine. I've seen properly done aluminum joints from the 70s that looked better than some copper jobs I've seen from last year. The issue is most guys don't follow the steps, so copper became the easier sell. I'm not saying I'd put aluminum in a new build, but I don't think it's the death sentence everyone makes it out to be.
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