Aluminum Wiring in 1960s–70s Homes: What North Carolina Homeowners Should Know
Between roughly 1965 and 1975, copper prices spiked and many North Carolina subdivisions were wired with single-strand aluminum. Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper and oxidizes at connections, which loosens terminals over time and can cause overheating at outlets and switches.
How to spot it
Look at exposed cable in the attic or panel. Aluminum cable is often marked "AL" or "ALUMINUM" on the jacket, and the bare conductor is silver-colored rather than copper-colored.
Warning signs
- Warm cover plates
- Flickering lights not tied to large appliances
- Smell of hot plastic near outlets
- Outlets that work intermittently
Approved fixes
COPALUM crimping and AlumiConn connectors are the two methods recognized by the CPSC for pigtailing copper to aluminum at every device. A full copper rewire is the permanent solution. We offer all three; see aluminum wiring replacement.
Insurance
Many carriers require remediation documentation before binding a policy. We provide a certificate after the work is complete.
Also see our guides to knob and tube wiring and whole house rewiring, or call (888) 592-6466.