Identifying Aluminum Wiring in Your Home
Virtually all residential aluminum wiring was installed as plastic-sheathed or cloth cable (type NM, often called “Romex”) with no readily discernable distinction from a cable with copper conductors.
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- Look at the printed or embossed markings on the outer jacket of the electric cables, which are visible in unfinished basements, attics, or garages.
- If necessary, use a flashlight shining on the surface at a low angle to help make the embossed markings readable.
- Cable with aluminum conductors will have “Al” or “Aluminum” and other information marked on one side of the cable jacket every few feet along its length. (Note: be sure to read as much of the marking as possible because the marking “CU-clad” or “Copper-clad,” in addition to the “Al” or “Aluminum,” means that the cable uses copper-coated aluminum wire).
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If you are unable to identify the type of wire in your home by this method, but you suspect that you have aluminum wire, have a qualified electrician make the determination. If your home has aluminum wiring that has not been remediated, Westridge Electric recommends a permanent repair of the connections, as described on this website.
Contact Westridge Electric for any Copalum or Aluminum Wiring questions.
