The other day a realtor told me about a mistake that was made by a home inspector. It was an easy enough mistake to make, but it probably should not have happened. The home inspector's incorrect guess was later straightened out by an electrician -- who came in to review the problem with "aluminum wiring" in the electric system. By then the alarmed buyer had abandoned the offer on the house.

The problematic single-strand branch circuit aluminum wiring was commonly used from 1964 up until about 1978. It is important for the inspector to remember those dates. Simply because a conductor, at a casual glance, looks like aluminum does not make it so.

For example, take a look at this photo.

The conductors on the right sure do not look like the copper wires on the other side. The first thought might be "aluminum". But, in fact, that is an incorrect assumption. Those are zinc clad copper conductors. 

 

The lower three conductors on the photo above (an egregious example) show the corrosion and the problems that can be found with some of the aluminum circuits from the 1960's and 1970's. Now that is aluminum wire but, of course, not all of the old circuits look that bad. But, plenty of them do!

You might ask, how can an inspector get this one right? Well, he or she needs to keep in mind the age of the house. If the wiring looks to be original, and the house was pre-1960's, then that is probably not aluminum he or she is looking at. On the other hand, it is possible that some aluminum circuits were added-in later -- so it might be aluminum after all. The other clue, apparent here, is the insulation. If you look at the zinc clad wiring at the top, notice that it has the old-fashioned cloth insulation. That would not be anticipated with the aluminum branch circuit wiring from the 1960's and the 1970's. Look for a plastic jacket as insulation on aluminum wiring.

In home inspection, sometimes all the inspector can find is a clue to an issue and, reading the clue wrong, can lead to mistakes. It is nice to have a support network so, when the need arises, an inspector can bounce something off of another informed party. Even doctors often seek second opinions.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

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7 Comments on All That Glitters Is Not Aluminum Wiring

APR
03
2010
318,702 Points

What a great observation it is good for the home inspectors to know what they are talking about-or at least have someone they can call for a second opinion.
5:06pm • #1
977,311 Points 352 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Great tips Steve.  Around here they stopped using aluminum about 1972.
5:41pm • #2
478,758 Points 15 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

I love learning this stuff!  Thanks for the education, Steve.  Knew a little, but your explanation made it crystal clear.
8:59pm • #3
APR
04
2010

That is a simple enough mistake, and for a generalist home inspector, I would not be surprised. This is where experience counts when hiring a home inspector.

But this is also a good example of using verbiage in reports that identify this as a possible concern and make recommendations for an additional inspection by the expert (in this case the electrician). If I am not certain, I let my clients know that, and recommend they get the expert opinion.

 
2:16pm • #4
1,150,672 Points 53 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Harold,

Exactly. I probably would not make that mistake, mainly because of Charlie Bee and I sharing questions and he is great on that kind of thing. But, if I was to be suspicious I would write it like you. Instead of turning on the sirens, simply stating they should have an electrician come in. Heck, that can be done cheap or at no cost is the electrician might be getting a job out of it.
2:27pm • #5
APR
06
2010
106,902 Points 4 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Harold, Great article. I think all inspector's are puzzle solvers. I find myself inspecting even at family or friends houses or even eating in a restaurant. I usually spot a wall crack or missing tile, or some other imperfection. :)

Best Regards, Jay
2:58am • #6
APR
08
2010
568,210 Points 140 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

My thoughts are as an inspector you should be able to identify and know the difference between aluminum wire and tin coated copper. Sure there may be instances where you can not be certain, but identifying wire types is home inspection 101. The other aspect of this situation is educating the client. Aluminum wire can be repaired. This information should be given at the time of the inspection and for all I know perhaps it was. As inspectors it is our job to educate our clients so that they can make a decision. The information we provide should be as accurate as possible and if we are not sure about something we should convey that to our client.
7:02am • #7

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Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Bellingham, WA

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King of the House Home Inspection, Inc

Address: Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, Sumas, Nooksack, Lake Whatcom, Lake Samish, Anacortes, Mount Vernon, Whatcom County, Bellingham, WA, 98225

Office Phone: (360) 676-6908

Cell Phone: (360) 319-0038

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Steven L. Smith, King of the House Home Inspection, provides information for real estate buyers, sellers and real estate industry professionals. Blog posts emphasize issues commonly found in Bellingham, WA and Whatcom County. Smith is Washington State Licensed Home inspector #207, a state licensed structural pest inspector and one of the most experienced inspectors in the northwest corner of the Pacific Northwest. Steven L. Smith is lead instructor of home inspection at Bellingham Technical College and teaches classes for Washington State University and the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Steve was a two-term member of the state licensing board.


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