Aluminum Wiring: The 1960s Shortcut Still Hiding in NJ Homes
For about a decade — roughly 1965 to 1975 — copper prices spiked and builders wired homes with aluminum instead. Whole neighborhoods across Central New Jersey went up that way. Aluminum carries electricity fine; the problem is at the hundreds of connection points, where it expands, contracts, and slowly works loose in ways copper does not. A loose connection builds heat behind a wall, and that is exactly where you do not want heat.
How to know if you have it
If your home was built or expanded between the mid-60s and mid-70s, look at the printed markings on the wiring sheathing in the basement or attic: AL, ALUM, or ALUMINUM means you have it. Warm outlet or switch covers, flickering lights, or a faint hot-plastic smell near outlets are the warning signs that connections are already loosening. Not sure? Text a photo of the marking to 732-585-6560 and we will tell you what you have.
The Fix Is Usually Not a Full Rewire
Here is the honest part most homeowners do not expect: aluminum wiring usually does not need to be torn out. The accepted fix treats every connection point — outlets, switches, fixtures, and the panel — using connectors rated for joining aluminum to copper. Insurers and inspectors know the approved method by name (COPALUM crimps, or AlumiConn connectors), and when the work is documented, most insurance companies are satisfied without a rewire. It is a fraction of the cost, done in a day or two, and it addresses the actual risk.
Why Insurance Companies Bring It Up
Like Federal Pacific panels and knob and tube wiring, aluminum wiring shows up on insurance inspection checklists across New Jersey. Some carriers surcharge, some demand remediation with proof, and some walk away. Home inspectors flag it on nearly every sale of a 60s or 70s house. Fixing it on your schedule, with paperwork in hand, always beats fixing it during a closing with a buyer deadline attached.
What It Costs
Remediation is priced by the number of connection points, so we quote it in writing after a walkthrough — a firm flat price before any work begins, never an hourly meter. Want to know where you stand first? Our $259.99 service call covers the assessment: we open a sample of outlets and switches, check the panel, and give you a written answer, including how urgent it really is.
Central New Jersey, 24 Hours a Day
We repair aluminum wiring connections across Monmouth, Middlesex, Somerset, Union, Morris and Essex County from our Hazlet and Bridgewater offices. Real people answer around the clock. Call or text 732-585-6560.
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