Down time is never good for business productivity. It's probably annoying to hear that frequent electrical emergencies are tied to the fact that the 'wrong' material was used for electrical wiring within your premises.

Why would aluminium be considered a 'wrong' material for electrical wiring? The article below answers this question, and it provides a possible way forward for business owners in Queensland

The Problem

Before the use of alternative materials for electrical wiring gained prominence, aluminium wires were the mainstay in many commercial buildings. Older buildings that haven't had their wiring systems improved since their construction are still likely to have these wires.  

Aluminium has great electrical conductivity. It's lighter and more affordable than many of the alternative materials used for electric wiring. However, the rate of thermal expansion for aluminium wires is greater than that of copper or other alternative materials. Thus, aluminium wires will expand more than copper wires when exposed to similar operational conditions.

Upon contraction, electrical resistance within an aluminium wire increases. Increased resistance encourages heat build-up within an electrical circuit, and this creates fertile ground for an electric fire. For this reason, aluminium wires are thought to have a negative impact on a commercial building's fire hazard rating.  

The Solutions

You can choose to upgrade the electrical wiring system, or you can choose to overhaul the system. Upgrading the system would mean replacing the old wires with modern AA-8000 series aluminium wires. This is an aluminium alloy that has greater thermal stability than old aluminium wiring. Due to this stability, AA-8000 aluminium is considered less of a fire hazard. An upgrade is a good option if you're working with a tight budget.

An overhaul of the wiring system would mean replacing the old wires with new copper wires. Copper also has great electrical conductivity and greater thermal stability than aluminium. The only potential drawback is that copper wires are significantly more expensive than their aluminium equivalents. Thus, an overhaul might en up being quite the expense. The trade off is that copper electric wires are likely to outperform and outlast wires made of AA-8000 series aluminium.

Point To Note

It's illegal to carry out DIY electrical works/repairs in Queensland without an electrical license. You can't save on the cost of a new wiring system by installing the new wires yourself. Once you're ready to upgrade/overhaul the system, call in an experienced, fully-licensed electrical contractor to perform any electrical work.