Home inspection today revealed that the house is wired with aluminum wiring. It’s a known potential fire hazard so merits more research. The most useful reference is the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Publication 516, Repairing Aluminum Wiring, which covers how to recognize aluminum branch circuit wiring and the repair methods CPSC recommends.

There are different fixes for the problem. The “best” system attaches a copper wire to the aluminum with a special tool — the COPALUM crimp connector, originally made by AMP/Tyco. Every outlet, switch and fixture throughout the house has the connector applied to it. CPSC also recognizes AlumiConn as an alternative where COPALUM is unavailable.