Aluminum Wiring Repair and Remediation
Homes built in the late 1960s and 1970s across San Luis Obispo County were commonly wired with aluminum branch circuits, and many mobile homes in the county still have it. 5 Star Electrical Services is a licensed C-10 electrical contractor, license #973698, bonded and insured. Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper, which loosens connections over time and creates heat at outlets and switches — a recognised fire risk. We remediate aluminum wiring using proper splice connectors at every device, and where the existing panel cannot accept combination AFCI/GFCI breakers we install a new sub panel that can. Call (805) 215-4503.
Why Aluminum Wiring Fails
Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper as a circuit heats and cools. Over decades that movement loosens the connection at every outlet, switch and splice. A loose connection has resistance, resistance creates heat, and heat at a device buried in a wall is how fires start. The wire itself is usually fine — the connections are the problem.
Mobile Homes
A large number of mobile homes in San Luis Obispo County and around Santa Maria, Orcutt and Nipomo have aluminum branch wiring. Mobile home electrical also tends to have its own issues around service equipment and bonding. We work on mobile homes regularly.
1960s and 1970s Tract Homes
Homes built across the county during the aluminum wiring period — including much of Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Oceano, Nipomo and Orcutt — commonly have it on branch circuits. If you are buying or selling a home from this era, it is worth knowing before the inspection.
How We Remediate It
We install proper splice connectors rated for aluminum-to-copper connections at every device, which is the repair method recognised for this problem. Where the existing panel cannot accept combination AFCI/GFCI breakers, we add a sub panel that can, giving those circuits arc-fault and ground-fault protection. In some cases a full rewire is the better value — we will tell you which situation you are in.
Insurance
Some carriers require aluminum branch wiring to be remediated or replaced before they will write or renew a policy. If yours has flagged it, we provide documentation of the work.
Cost
Remediation cost depends on the number of devices and how accessible they are. A full rewire on a 1,000 square foot home runs about $25,000, excluding demolition and repair of siding. We assess and quote flat rate in writing.
Is aluminum wiring dangerous?
The wire itself is usually fine. The problem is the connections: aluminum expands and contracts more than copper, which loosens connections at outlets and switches over decades. A loose connection creates heat, and heat at a device inside a wall is a recognised fire risk.
How do you fix aluminum wiring?
We install proper splice connectors rated for aluminum-to-copper connections at every device, which is the recognised repair for this problem. Where the existing panel cannot accept combination AFCI/GFCI breakers, we add a sub panel that can.