In buildings of the old development, for the installation of the electrical network, mainly aluminum-based wiring was used. However, sooner or later, electrical wiring requires replacement or restoration. Therefore, many owners ask themselves the question: what is good about aluminum wiring in an apartment, whether or not to change it to copper? This needs to be dealt with in more detail, weighing all the pros and cons.
Content
- Advantages and disadvantages of aluminum wiring
- Important facts about the system
- Do I need to replace the wiring
- Rules for dismantling old electrical wiring
- Additional recommendations for laying
Advantages and disadvantages of aluminum wiring
It should be noted right away that electrical wiring made of aluminum is considered not the highest quality and reliable. One way or another, but it is this type of system that is installed in most of the old apartments. This type has the following advantages:
- small weight (aluminum alloys weigh much less than other materials that are used as conductors of electrical energy);
- resistance to corrosion (aluminum instantly oxidizes upon contact with air, forming a protective film on the wire).
Today, aluminum in electrical wiring is often used to create power cables, where the cost of the material and its weight are extremely important. A striking example is SIP cableswith veins made of aluminum.
However, in modern new buildings prefer not to install aluminum-based wiring. This is due to the following disadvantages of this material:
- a high degree of fluidity (aluminum stretches well, which is a disadvantage when arranging screw connections of wires);
- brittleness (during long-term use, aluminum cables will break, especially when overheated and significant loads).
These disadvantages lead to a short service life of the entire installation. The approximate service life of aluminum wiring in an apartment is up to 26 years.
Important facts about the system
The properties of aluminum are well studied. In order to learn as much as possible about this material, it is recommended to remember a few important facts:
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Aluminum wiring is considered a potentially flammable material. - Practice shows that cases of ignition of aluminum wiring are not so rare.
- In rooms with an aluminum electrical network, incidents of fire are recorded many times more often than with wiring from a different material.
- This type of routing can only be used on a temporary basis.
- In order to avoid ignition, it is unacceptable to combine aluminum and copper wires.
Therefore, experts do not advise using this kind of cables at home. This is especially true for summer cottages and timber houses, which are not visited very often.
Do I need to replace the wiring
The experts answer this question in the affirmative. One of the good reasons for replacement is considered to be the maximum load that aluminum can withstand. Even high-quality aluminum wiring will not be able to guarantee reliability and safety at the present time. And it is forbidden to mount aluminum wiring with a large cross-section, as this can cause a fire.
Copper cable perfectly copes with modern electrical loads. In addition, it is much more fire resistant and reliable. Therefore, it is still worth changing the aluminum wiring.
But replacing aluminum wiring with copper is not cheap. Also, for a complete replacement procedure, you need to make a huge number of holes. You can simplify the task and make a pair of copper lines that will take on most of the load, and the aluminum wires will be brought out to the lighting. In addition, new cables can be masked with door frames or skirting boards. This will minimize the stress on the aluminum wiring, making the entire system more reliable and safer.
Rules for dismantling old electrical wiring
The first stage is to turn off the batch switch, that is, to de-energize the premises.
The junction boxes are removed first. Their covers are located on the walls and under the ceiling. First you need to find the lead-in cable, then you need to insulate and cut it. This is not necessary in a production environment.
Additional recommendations for laying
The consumed power indicators of electrical appliances should not exceed the nominal values of the wiring. Manufacturers generally reflect this information based on optimum operating conditions.
Excessively thick cables are not suitable for domestic use. However, it is undesirable to buy very thin ones. If the electrical wiring burns out, it will cost much more to fix it than the original purchase of high quality materials. In addition, the decoration in the apartment will have to be done again.
Do not forget that, regardless of the type of electrical wiring in your home, it is imperative to follow the rules of electrical and fire safety. So you will have the opportunity to protect yourself and your apartment from negative consequences and emergency situations.
