If your St. Louis home was built between 1965 and 1982, there's a good chance it was wired with aluminum instead of copper. At the time, aluminum was cheap and copper was scarce. Today, we know aluminum wiring carries a significantly higher fire risk — and most insurance companies in Missouri have taken notice.

Why Aluminum Wiring Is a Problem

Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper as it heats and cools. Over decades of use, this causes connections at outlets, switches, and fixtures to loosen. Loose connections create resistance. Resistance creates heat. Heat creates fires.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, homes with aluminum wiring are 55 times more likely to reach fire-hazard conditions than homes wired with copper.

Additionally, aluminum oxidizes when exposed to air, and aluminum oxide is a poor conductor. This oxidation increases resistance at connection points over time, compounding the heat problem.

Does Your St. Louis Home Have Aluminum Wiring?

Here's how to check without opening your walls:

  • Look at the electrical panel — aluminum wires are silver-colored (copper is orange-gold)
  • Check where wires enter the panel — aluminum wires are often labeled "AL" or "ALUM"
  • Check your home's age — if built 1965–1982 in St. Louis, aluminum is very likely
  • Hire an electrician for a wiring inspection — we can confirm within minutes

⚠️ Insurance warning: Many Missouri homeowners insurance carriers now require aluminum wiring remediation before issuing or renewing policies. If you're selling your home, buyers' inspectors will flag aluminum wiring and it often becomes a negotiation point.

Aluminum Wiring Remediation Options

Option 1: Pigtailing with AlumiConn Connectors (Recommended)

This is the most common and cost-effective remediation method approved by the CPSC. At every connection point in your home — every outlet, switch, light fixture, and junction box — a short copper "pigtail" wire is connected to the aluminum wire using a special AlumiConn connector. The device then connects to the copper pigtail instead of the aluminum wire directly.

This eliminates the aluminum-to-device contact that causes the problem. It does not require pulling new wire through your walls.

Cost in St. Louis: $1,500 – $4,000 depending on home size and number of connection points.

Option 2: CO/ALR Devices

Replacing standard outlets and switches with CO/ALR-rated devices (designed specifically for aluminum wiring) is a partial solution. It's less comprehensive than AlumiConn pigtailing and doesn't address junction boxes, fixtures, and other connection points.

Option 3: Complete Rewiring with Copper

Full rewiring eliminates aluminum wiring permanently. It's the most thorough solution but also the most disruptive and expensive — walls need to be opened in most cases.

Cost in St. Louis: $8,000 – $20,000+ depending on home size.

For most homeowners, AlumiConn pigtailing provides excellent protection at a fraction of the cost of full rewiring.

What We Recommend

For most St. Louis homes, we recommend the AlumiConn pigtailing method. It's CPSC-approved, significantly reduces fire risk, satisfies most insurance carriers, and doesn't require tearing open your walls. We'll provide a full inspection and a written estimate before any work begins.

Call (314) 408-5647 to schedule a free aluminum wiring inspection anywhere in the St. Louis metro.