Aluminum and copper wiring? (insurance, how much, houses)

[SunshineandBlueSkies]

Anyone know how much or what the expense may be to buy a home that has both aluminum and copper wiring near the panel/circuit breaker-branches? The block home was built in the 70's, and may need to be rewired near the panel. Home is running on 15 amps and is 900 sq feet. Everything else up to par...but not sure what the expense would be to replace this, or if I would necessarily need to replace. I know copper is better, but would this be a big deal when I had to resell it if I did not replace the wiring? (I don't mean the whole house) I'm hearing it may run about 3-600 bucks. It also does not have a main circuit breaker. And how does this figure with getting home insurance?

Can anyone give me some advice please. Thanks a lot.

[DUNNDFRNT]

Originally Posted by SunshineandBlueSkies

Anyone know how much or what the expense may be to buy a home that has both aluminum and copper wiring near the panel/circuit breaker-branches? The block home was built in the 70's, and may need to be rewired near the panel. Home is running on 15 amps and is 900 sq feet. Everything else up to par...but not sure what the expense would be to replace this, or if I would necessarily need to replace. I know copper is better, but would this be a big deal when I had to resell it if I did not replace the wiring? (I don't mean the whole house) I'm hearing it may run about 3-600 bucks. It also does not have a main circuit breaker. And how does this figure with getting home insurance?

Can anyone give me some advice please. Thanks a lot.

Newer houses have anywhere from 120 amp to 200 amp service, even older houses have 80 amps, I have never seen anything below 70 amps, 15 is nuts, a typical outlet runs on a 10 to 15 amp breaker, I mean a microwave runs about 7 amps. It usually runs $800 or more to upgrade your service, as far as the aluminum wiring, not sure what you mean depending on where you at the main service from the street is usually aluminum, the issue with aluminun is on the connections, in a small house it shouldnt be too much to upgrade the connection points, basically they splice the aluminum into a copper pigtail and connect that.

[Spring Hillian]

The potential rewire of a home depends on construction. If they can snake new cable in and out of the walls quickly it will be cheaper.

I have aluminum wiring throughout most of the house. That was the original wiring. Over the years previous owner upgraded the main panel and also had outlets and switches added, fans installed, and some other small electrical work done in copper. The electrician used the proper circuit breakers for the old aluminum wiring and the new copper stuff at the panel.

Aluminum wire is fine. Safe, reliable, etc. However, when you change out an outlet or wall switch that was on Aluminum wire, you are going to need to replace it with a device that is also rated for aluminum wire.

If you use a standard made for copper device, outlet, switch, whatever, you could get problems at that connection as the aluminum and the copper expand and contract at different rates and there is also a corrosion problem as copper and aluminum don't get along so well.

The poster who mentioned Pig tailing is correct. You can add some copper to the aluminum but that connection MUST be made with the appropriate wire nut. The appropriate wire nut has a protective jelly inside it and is made out of a special plastic that won't explode like a regular wire nut would in that aluminum/copper connection. I'd rather not have that pig tail as it is a potential heat source
and could reasonably cause a fire.


Bring in 3 or 4 companies and have them review what you've got and what you may need to do to bring the electrical system up to par. 15 amps? Nah, really? Maybe all the breakers are rated at 15? A main circuit breaker would be standard in a new electrical panel. They aren't that difficult to change out (licensed electrician only!).



Let us know how it goes.

Originally Posted by SunshineandBlueSkies

Anyone know how much or what the expense may be to buy a home that has both aluminum and copper wiring near the panel/circuit breaker-branches? The block home was built in the 70's, and may need to be rewired near the panel. Home is running on 15 amps and is 900 sq feet. Everything else up to par...but not sure what the expense would be to replace this, or if I would necessarily need to replace. I know copper is better, but would this be a big deal when I had to resell it if I did not replace the wiring? (I don't mean the whole house) I'm hearing it may run about 3-600 bucks. It also does not have a main circuit breaker. And how does this figure with getting home insurance?

Can anyone give me some advice please. Thanks a lot.

[SunshineandBlueSkies]

Sorry I meant 15 amp per breaker... (Im not an electrician lol)

Yes thanks everyone, we someone looking at it now; the electrician...I just didnt want to pay for something that may be hard to sell, or extremely costly in the long run. Im looking at putting in a main breaker too. I will you know of what the costs are for reference.

I also heard insurance companies will consider AlumiConn Connector as proper updates. Last thing I would hate is to not be able to insure the place ugh.,,

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by SunshineandBlueSkies

Sorry I meant 15 amp per breaker... (Im not an electrician lol)

Yes thanks everyone, we someone looking at it now; the electrician...I just didnt want to pay for something that may be hard to sell, or extremely costly in the long run. Im looking at putting in a main breaker too. I will you know of what the costs are for reference.

I also heard insurance companies will consider AlumiConn Connector as proper updates. Last thing I would hate is to not be able to insure the place ugh.,,

A lot of ins. companies will NOT insure a home with aluminum wiring. If it's not too expensive I would just change it all out. I wouldn't think it would be too bad for such a small home.

[Michiganguy]

The service change up here in Michigan is $1,200 and includes your new 100 amp panel with breakers, new meter, new wiring from the meter to the panel and up to the utilities connection usually with a mast and weather head (riser). Also includes proper grounding with a new ground rod. All this will need to be upgraded to 100 amp set up.

As far as rewiring the house.....that could be expensive depending on how much has to be replaced and if the walls are finished or open, how many stories and if there is an attic or not...etc. Usually a pain and costs more in labor than in materials. Up here we are ripping out old knob and tube and pulling in new romex. Just starting to get the insurance companies demanding that people do this or they are cancelling their insurance. I only do this work on a time and material basis as you are never sure what you are going to run into.

[Michiganguy]

That also includes your permit and inspections.

[Ryan_M]

Another electrician here but I don't do residential so take this for what it's worth but given my field I probably run more aluminum than copper. As has been mentioned there is nothing wrong with aluminum wiring as long as it has been terminated properly, but if your insurance companies are anything like ours they hear the word aluminum and use it as an excuse to jack the rates.

You say you're not an electrician (good for you getting somebody qualified BTW) but how are you at drywall repair and plaster/paint? If you can do that I think you can save yourself some good $$$. Again I really don't do ressy but I think if the guys can make a hand sized hole top and bottom to fish the wire in (which would take no time if they have access) and not have to worry about trying to find a way to fish without breaking into a wall or having to patch up that wall (which would take a lot of time since plaster dries slow) then there goes a lot of the labour cost.

Just a thought.

[SunshineandBlueSkies]

Got an estimate in case anyone is wondering:

Remove 7 old outlets. install new splice blocks for Aluminum to copper connections. $175.00
Install main Breaker to existing service panel $180.00

$355.00 total

Appears that many outlets were already running on copper.

not too shabby....no?

[Spring Hillian]

Not bad. Now you know you are up to par.

Originally Posted by SunshineandBlueSkies

Got an estimate in case anyone is wondering:

Remove 7 old outlets. install new splice blocks for Aluminum to copper connections. $175.00
Install main Breaker to existing service panel $180.00

$355.00 total

Appears that many outlets were already running on copper.

not too shabby....no?