How to Identify Clad Wire Electrical
- 1). Turn off the power to the whole house. Turn off the main circuit breaker on the electrical panel to turn off power to the entire house.
- 2). Remove the electrical panel cover from the circuit breaker box. Use the screwdriver to remove the screws holding the panel cover in place.
- 3). Turn on the flashlight and light up the electrical wires going into the end of the circuit breakers. Look for "Al" or "Aluminum" written on the electrical wire jackets. Copper-clad aluminum may be marked as "CU Clad AL."
- 4). Remove the wire marked "Al" or "Aluminum" by loosening the screw on the circuit breaker holding the wire in place. Look at the end of the wire and see if you notice a silver-colored core. If you notice a silver-colored core, then you have copper-clad aluminum wiring. If the entire wire is the same color, it's completely aluminum.
