Got called to a 1970s house in Tacoma where the previous guy used aluminum wire with copper devices. Now I'm torn between full rewire and just using Al/Cu connectors. What would you do?

4 comments

4 Comments

Oh man, that's a tough spot. I read a whole article about how those old aluminum connections can get loose and overheat over time. Personally, I'd lean towards the full rewire for peace of mind, even though it's a bigger job. Those Al/Cu connectors are a decent fix, but you're still dealing with the old wire in the walls. It really comes down to what the homeowner is willing to spend.

flores.emma1mo ago

Ugh, this is like so many things in an old house. Honestly, you patch one thing just to find the real problem is hidden behind the walls. It feels like putting a band-aid on a pipe that's rusting from the inside out. You end up spending more over time because you didn't want the big cost up front.

bailey.jennifer1mo ago

Exactly, and if the aluminum wire is already showing issues at the outlets, the rest of the run is probably just as old and tired. A partial fix now might just move the weak spot somewhere else you can't see.

keith2747d ago

Had a buddy who tried the cheap route on an old house once. He spent a whole weekend swapping out outlets with those Al/Cu connectors. Looked good when he was done. Then his wife plugged in a space heater in the living room three weeks later and the switch plate started feeling warm. By the time he got the wall open, the wire was brittle and snapped like a twig where it went into the box. Full rewire ended up costing him double because now he had to rip out drywall and fix the damaged wire on top of everything else. Meanwhile my other buddy just bit the bullet and rewired his whole place from the start. That was ten years ago and he hasn't touched a single outlet since. The peace of mind is worth the upfront pain if you ask me.