Run! Aluminum wiring.
Homeowners and prospective buyers are frequently scared when it comes to homes built with aluminum wiring. Some insurance companies won't even cover them.
For those considering rewiring or pig-tailing, consider this:
It is well known that faulty aluminum wiring has been the direct cause of house fires. With that, so has leaving the oven on, rodents in the attic, gasoline containers in the garage, faulty water heaters etc. etc.. Aluminum wiring expands and contracts with normal use, and during warm and cold seasons, which then loosens at the connections in boxes or at the screw it's connected to at the outlet or light switch. When there's a loose connection the wires begin to heat and sparking may occur. Just like any refined metal, it also corrodes. Well guess what? Copper corrodes, and expands and contracts too, just not as fast.
It is the opinion of most electrical contractors, that this is a simple factor of awareness and maintenance. As long as the devices and connectors are rated for aluminum wiring and checked and tightened at the connections, aluminum wiring can be just as safe as copper.
For those who insist on having pig-tailing performed, most homes are originally already wired with devices rated for aluminum. Either way, exchanging the outlets and switches, may save you more money and time than pig-tailing.
Pig-tailing is when copper wiring is spliced to aluminum with crimp connections or special purple wire nuts.
Here's a breakdown of how long and what it would cost an average do-it-yourselfer with the electricity turned off:
These materials can be found at Home Depot. This is current pricing, and subject to change.
Sample Home:
1700 sq ft home
25 outlets
25 light switches
Pig-tailing
It takes an average of 3 purple colored splice connectors or "wire nuts" per device box.
Purple wire nuts @ $2.30 per X 3 per
Wire for pig-tailing= $25
Outlet rated for copper @ .45 cents X 50 = $22.50
Cover plates @ .22 X 50 = $11
Time per box = 15-30 minutes
Total Material cost= $403
Total Time= 12.5 - 25.5 hrs
Exchanging outlets & light switches rated for aluminum wiring
Aluminum rated outlets @ $2.99 X 25= $74.75
Aluminum rated switches @ $4.17 X 25= $104.25
