Aluminum Wiring Repair in Janesville, WI

Who has it

Aluminum branch-circuit wiring went into houses from about 1965 to the mid 1970s; the CPSC says homes built before 1965 are unlikely to have it (CPSC). 9,594 of Janesville's homes (32.7%) were built from 1960 through 1979 (Census ACS 2020-2024), which is the window to check. The Census does not record wiring, so the only way to know is to look.

How to check

Almost all of it went in as plastic-sheathed cable that looks like copper cable from the outside. The CPSC's advice is to read the printed or embossed markings on the cable jacket where it is visible in an unfinished basement, attic or garage, shining a flashlight at a low angle if the lettering is faint (CPSC Publication 516).

Warning signs

The CPSC says failing aluminum connections seldom give easy warning and have overheated without any prior signs. When there are signs, they are cover plates on outlets or switches that are hot to the touch, flickering lights, circuits that stop working, or the smell of burning plastic at an outlet or switch. Its advice is not to work on it yourself (CPSC Publication 516).

The three repairs the CPSC accepts

1. Replace it with copper. Removes the cause entirely; how practical it is depends on access to the walls and ceilings. It is new wiring, so it is permitted and inspected (Janesville permits).
2. COPALUM crimp connectors. A short copper pigtail joined to the aluminum at every connection with a crimp made by a dedicated tool, installed only by electricians trained by the manufacturer. The CPSC calls it safe and permanent and says it works in an occupied, furnished home.
3. AlumiConn connectors. A set-screw pigtail connector the CPSC treats as the next best option where COPALUM is not available, with a shorter track record.

The CPSC recommends against pigtailing with ordinary twist-on connectors and against other crimp connectors, after laboratory tests in which substantial numbers of twist-on connectors overheated severely (CPSC Publication 516). Every connection in the house is in scope: outlets, switches, fixtures, appliances and junction boxes.

Price

We found no Wisconsin source pricing a COPALUM or AlumiConn repair that we would publish, so the honest number comes from counting the connections in your house. A full rewire is in the range on the knob-and-tube page and the cost page. If you plan a panel upgrade or an EV charger, deal with the aluminum first.