This is one of my last arktickles for The Lovely County Citizen, and is surprisingly non-humorous. Possibly because my wife had just announced her desire for a divorce. If I'd known how good it was for both of us, I'd have injected a little more levity.

THE OLD HOUSE DOCTOR

                           3-7-05

FROM THE PAST

          Isn’t it funny how things can come out of the past and chomp you a good one on the tookus? Such as the fact that the well pump on my eleven-year-old log cabin went out last month, and when we pulled it out, the date on it was 1981. Oh yes, we got a big laugh out of that one all right, ha ha. Paying thirteen hundred bucks for something you already have is quite humorous, I can tell you.

          The same thing is true when it comes to old houses. You don’t know what bozo homeowner or contractor has done in the past to create latent problems with which you will eventually have to deal. And sometimes it’s fads or building code changes that makes our miserable lives truly humorous. Ha ha.

Take aluminum electrical wiring, for instance. In the sixties and seventies, it was thought that aluminum wiring would create major savings in the building business, as it was cheaper than copper. It turned out to be a dangerous thing to have; aluminum wire expands and contracts as AC current pulses through it, causing it to loosen at connecting points such as junction boxes, switches and receptacles. This can cause arcing (loose chunks of electricity) and as a result, possible electrical fires.

To find out if you have aluminum wiring, you can look in your junction boxes, located in your attic or crawlspace. First turn off the circuit that you want to examine (it’s best to throw the main breaker or unscrew all the fuses), then unscrew the cover to the box and look inside with a flashlight. Aluminum wire is silver and copper wire is, well, copper-colored. It is even possible to have a mixed system with both types of wire.

What to do if you have it? You can ignore it, of course. Many homes have aluminum wire and live long and healthy lives. You can replace it, but that is an expensive process of snaking new wires through walls. Or you can routinely tighten your connections. Best to talk to an electrician about your options.