aluminum wiring

so we had our inspection today and found out that the house has aluminum wiring. the home owner says that everything is pigtailed (finished off with copper at the outlets etc), but how big of deal is this? do we need an electrician to come in before we proceed with the contract? or should we just worry about it after we buy? i really don't think the seller will go down in price or give us any credit for this, we had a hard enough time agreeing on a price.

Re: aluminum wiring

I have aluminum wiring in my house...my dad called an electrician for me to see what the cost would be to update it all...we then went to the seller and asked for half that amount of money to be taken off of the selling price. that was after negotiating a price.
can you just call an electrician and ask what the norm is for aluminum wiring to be "updated"? sorry if i had actually paid attention to what the ppl were fixing i might have the actual answer for you! your wiring may be just fined and updated correctly!

Re: aluminum wiring

Make sure it's confirmed it's a big deal!!!! We have aluminum wiring and we have had some serious issues

Re: aluminum wiring

If you really love the place, I wouldn't let something like this get in the way if you don't think the sellers are likely to budge. It's a common problem with homes built around the 70s...

Re: aluminum wiring

I think that it is not a big deal IF there is copper wiring at the outlets. I know aluminum wiring used to be used all the time (in older houses) and that it can be fixed without replacing all the wiring.

Of course, the issue is determining whether the alumiium wiring has indeed been addressed, as the seller represented. As a first step, I would ask your agent to find out from the listing agent when the sellers addressed this (as they claim they did) and whether they have documentation (receipts, etc.) to show that they did. Once you find out what work was done (if it was done), and you are still concerned, you can always go back and ask your home inspector whether that is good enough. It may be as simple as that.

The home inspection is generally not an opportunity to negotiate further on price once price has been agreed upon, BUT if there are problems with major systems (plumbing, electrical, or structural issues), the seller should address them (or provide a credit to the buyer to address them). IF there is a legitimate issue to be looked into, the sellers' agent will usually encourage the sellers to work it out with you. That's usually in everyone's interest.

Re: aluminum wiring

Not sure about NY but...In some states, home hazard insurance will not cover homes with aluminium wiring, and some insurance companies that claim to cover it charge a higher premium than for homes with copper wiring.

Reputable and knowledgeable insurers should recognize the difference between AA-8000 series aluminium building wire and that used prior to 1972.

Re: aluminum wiring

I would get an actual electrical inspection before making any decisions.

Re: aluminum wiring

Thanks for all the advice everyone! Looks like we will be calling an electrician. I really hope this copper finishing thing is already done!

Re: aluminum wiring

Make sure the they are indeed pigtailed, if they are you're fine, most houses built before 1972 I believe has aluminum wiring...

Re: aluminum wiring

Our house was built in 73. We had the same issue, but the outlets were not pigtailed.

We had the owners agreed to pay for the updating of the electrical box (got a credit on our closing costs I believe). Then we had an electrician come in after we owned the house to upgrade the electrical box. DH learned from his father how to pigtail the outlets and he did them himself.

Re: aluminum wiring

Just watched HGTV last night, and Mr. Holmes, helped a couple fix this problem, aluminum wires, as well as a host of others!!! Mary