Today, the National Electrical Code® requires aluminum conductor alloys be at least an “AA-8000” series (section 310.14). The newer alloys appear to be far less trouble-prone than original aluminum alloys. Southwire® was the first company to gain a listing for these new alloys. NM wire using modern 8000-type alloys was first UL® listed around 1972. The original NM cable aluminum alloys of the 1960’s lost their UL® listing in 1971.
There seems to be little verifiable research that identifies the actual mode of the connection failures. This was especially true in the original aluminum alloys. The failures occurred at the mechanical connections. The problem with solid aluminum wire is not the reduced current-carrying capability of aluminum. This wire was installed in the same manner as copper conductors, often with disastrous results. In the early 1960’s, Kaiser Aluminum and other aluminum manufacturers introduced solid-wire aluminum non-metallic (Type NM) sheathed cable. The use of aluminum wire for feeders and service entrances was common by the early 1950’s and continues today. Aluminum wiring was UL listed for residential use in 1946. The National Electrical Code® has recognized conductors made of aluminum since for many years. This apparent lack of insurance company concern on this issue implies that solid aluminum wiring is currently perceived to be a low risk issue. When any kind of issue produces a string of underwriting losses, the companies typically react by enacting underwriting restrictions. Insurance companies go through cycles in policy underwriting. Most representatives were unaware that aluminum-wired houses posed any issue and indicated that their underwriters were not inquiring about the presence/absence of aluminum wiring. Of those that did, one indicated that solid aluminum wiring might trigger a requirement for an electrical inspection before a policy is issued. In researching this updated article, most insurance companies would not comment directly on underwriting policy. At the time, an underwriter at his wife’s former agency “told her he wouldn’t write the line anymore” unless a house had been repaired as the CPSC recommends, Hannemann said. What prompted the delayed response to this known fire hazard? “My wife worked in insurance, and she suggested we’d better do it,” said Hannemann, a federal employee in Washington, DC. However, they waited almost 18 years to make the fix that has been recommended by the Consumer Product Safety Commission since. When it comes through the wall, it is a fully involved fire,” said Scott Wolfson, a CPSC spokesman.ĭavid Hannemann and his wife were made aware that their home had aluminum electrical wiring when they purchased their Washington, DC home over 22 years ago. “All fires are of concern to us, but electrical fires concern us more because they occur behind the drywall and are hard to detect and to react to.
Although the CPSC estimates that “tens of thousands” of homeowners have heeded its advice and made appropriate electrical system repairs, many more have not. Statistics on fires specifically caused by aluminum wiring are not keptĬPSC official’s say that what’s upsetting is that many homeowners still don’t recognize the hazard that solid aluminum wire represents. These fires cause more than 140 deaths, injure 1,400 people and account for $349 million in property damage.
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“Electricity is a leading cause of home fires, but there are things that people can do to avoid these fires.” A free consumer information toolkit designed to help individuals learn how to protect themselves and their property is available at According to the NFPA, electrical failures or malfunctions result in an average of 19,100 home fires each year. “You could say that electricity practically runs our lives when you think of all the modern day necessities that need it, yet most people are unaware that electrical problems are factors in nearly 150 home fires each day,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA vice president of communications. Research suggests that older solid aluminum wire, generally wiring installed prior to 1972 may be more likely to experience connection problems than post-1972 solid aluminum wire or copper wired connections. This can result in overheated plugs and receptacles that may result in a fire. Overloaded convenience circuits may exacerbate the issues associated with older solid aluminum wiring.
Today, Americans are loading up their homes with high-tech appliances and products that draw more electrical current through these aging circuits. For decades this type of wiring has been publicized as a potential fire and safety hazard. that are believed to have solid aluminum branch-circuit wiring. There are about 2 million homes in the U.S.
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