Can you please help an uninformed homeowner?

[suzukini]

Can someone tell me what kind of wiring this is in my house? I had an electrician tell me it all has to be taken out because it's aluminum. I have no clue what it is. Thank you for your help.

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[Chad Fabry]

I'm not familiar with the brand but it wouldn't be aluminum because it's 14awg. Aluminum would likely be either 12 awg or 10awg

[Marc]

Can someone tell me what kind of wiring this is in my house? I had an electrician tell me it all has to be taken out because it's aluminum. I have no clue what it is. Thank you for your help.

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Anaconda was the name of a mining company that mined copper and bauxite. Bauxite is the raw material for producing aluminum. Just to be sure, why not take a look at the interior of your circuit breaker panel where the conductors are connected to the breakers and ground/neutral bus and see if aluminum conductors are present.

Marc

[hausdok]

Hi,

It doesn't have to be "taken out." If it truly is aluminum wiring (and that one in the photo can't be) the electrician can make your circuitry safer by using Copalum or Alumicon connectors to attach copper ends known as "pigtails" onto the existing wiring. Done right, there won't be anything to be concerned about. Done wrong, and there will.

If your electrician hasn't told you this, he/she is either woefully underinformed for a professional or is intentionally not giving you all of the information you need to make a fully-informed decision. Go here, educate yourself and then decide whether you want to get a second opinion from another electrician in your area.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Terence McCann]

Don't go noodling around in the electrical breaker box. It's not good for ones longevity (unless you're an electrician by trade - but then you wouldn't be asking this question).

It's where aluminum wire connects to devices like outlets that is the problem. And this only deals with solid aluminum. Stranded aluminum wire is still used all the time.

Consult with a few more reputable/qualified electrical contractors for additional advice. It may not be as bad as it seems.

There are a few sharp cookies here that will chime in I'm sure.

Mike rang in first

[Jim Port]

All of the AL conductor NM cable I remember seeing all had a plastic sheath. The braided cloth NM should pre-date the use of aluminum conductor material. The smallest AL that was used was #12 and was for 15 amp circuits.

[Brandon Whitmore]

Don't go noodling around in the electrical breaker box. It's not good for ones longevity (unless you're an electrician by trade - but then you wouldn't be asking this question).

Agreed-- pull a switch or receptacle (aka- outlet) cover plate. Do you see a copper or aluminum colored wire?

[Richard Moore]

I thought that all aluminum NM wire had a plastic coating...not the older braided. Correct? If all the wiring looks like the photo, I'll bet the so-called electrician is actually looking at tin plated copper.

As Chad first stated, the fact that the stuff in the photo is 14 AWG would rule out aluminum, at least for that cable. So, at worst, there's no way it "all" needs to be removed.

Do you see a copper or aluminum colored wire?

Even if "aluminum colored", still gotta look closely at the cut ends.

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