House built 35yrs ago.One ownerNot much, if any, manipulation of wiring.Pigtails put in: 2002*will be getting licensed electrician to recheck all connections *will get ESA certificate is this pretty much a safe bet to purchase home? If every recepticale is checked and every precaution is taken, will the aluminum wiring be safe in my home? Is there a life expectancy for aluminum wiring? And how often does it need to be rechecked?
Agree fully with trek even after certification a yearly torquing should be done of your bigger wires for the reason trek mentioned. Au is softer and expands more under heat. When it cools it contracts but the lugs or connectors don't contract as much and you start getting a lose connection which causes arching that causes more heat yadda yadda. As an electrician of 35+ years I can professionally say no aluminum is not what you want to see when buying a home. Not to mention they get brittle after time and exchanging a switch or plug has a high possibility of breaking or cracking the wire when doing so. Au wire was one of the blunders of the industry right up there with slab floor houses. Trying to cut cost in the industry to boost construction was less then stellar in the 60-70's and changes were made that haunt us tradesmen to this day. Good Luck
As long as there has been minimal repairs and/or additions to the circuits and there are no serious overloads, wiring can last pretty much indefinitely. The danger with aluminum wiring is oxidation and loosening of any splice and screw terminal connections which can result in arcing and overheating of the connections. Any aluminum wiring under #6 AWG (everything under 40 amps) should be replaced as soon as economically possible. As long as a qualified electrician can certify that your house wiring is in a relatively safe condition, you should have at least a few years before you need to worry about complete replacement.
