During the winter and summer seasons, people overload their electrical systems with furnaces, AC units, attic fans, swimming pools and Spas. The increased power usage will bring existing problems to the surface. If your home has aluminum wire that has deteriorated over the years, you have a dangerous situation on your hands.
The United State Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates that aluminum wiring increases your chance of having electrical related fire by 55 times, over a home with copper wiring. Between the years 1965 and 1972, approximately 2 ½ million homes were constructed with aluminum wiring. (http://www.cpsc.gov)
Solid strand aluminum wiring causes the most concern, specifically when connected to lower voltage circuits such as light switches, outlets, and small appliances. The connections tend to corrode and resist the flow of electrical current. That resistance causes overheating and ultimately fire. Most homes have some aluminum wiring, but in the higher voltage wires that feed the major appliances, this problem is not present.
