LOAD STUDIES · INFRARED THERMOGRAPHY · ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS
Pigtailing joins a short copper wire to each aluminum conductor so the connection at every outlet, switch and fixture can be made safely.
Pigtailing means splicing a short length of copper wire onto each aluminum conductor, then connecting the copper, not the aluminum, to the outlet, switch or fixture. The splice between copper and aluminum is made with a connector designed for that job.
It is the most common way to repair aluminum branch wiring without rewiring the whole building.
Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper as it heats and cools, and it forms an oxide layer that resists current. Over the years, connections at devices work loose and run hot. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that homes wired with pre-1972 aluminum branch circuit wire are 55 times more likely to have one or more connections reach fire hazard conditions than homes wired with copper. The CPSC describes the wiring in homes built from about 1965 to the mid-1970s.
The connector matters more than the wire. The CPSC accepts two repair connectors, and we install both:
Ordinary twist-on wire nuts are not an approved fix, and the CPSC does not recommend them. Replacing outlets with CO/ALR-rated devices only addresses the connection at the device, and the CPSC does not recommend relying on them alone.
Every outlet, switch and light fixture on an aluminum circuit is a connection point, so even a small home has dozens. Apartments and commercial buildings can have many more. We do aluminum wiring work in homes, apartment communities and commercial buildings, and we plan larger jobs by unit or by floor.
Check the cable jacket where it enters the panel or in an attic. Aluminum cable is usually marked AL or ALUMINUM. Homes built in Phoenix from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s are the ones to check first. If you cannot tell, we can identify it during a visit. Our aluminum wire and repair page covers all repair options.
Arizona ROC #153656 (CR-11) | Over 40 years in business
OUR PROCESS
Every job follows three steps: a site walkthrough, testing and documentation, then findings and next steps.
We start with a free phone consultation, and you can send a photo of your panel or equipment. If on-site work is needed, we visit, look at the panels and service, and agree on what needs to be tested or repaired before any work starts. On-site work is quoted before it begins.
Load loggers and a thermal camera record what the equipment is doing, and the results are documented for each panel or component we check.
We go over what we found and your options in plain language. If corrective work is needed, we are licensed to do it.
Share the details of your project, and our team will help you identify the most practical next step.
