Electrician in Alcoa

Alcoa at a glance

Alcoa is a city of 10,978 people (2020) in Blount County, next to Maryville and McGhee Tyson Airport, and part of the Knoxville metro.

What that means for your electrical

Alcoa grew around an industrial plant, and many older homes were built for workers in the early and mid-20th century. Those homes often have small panels and limited circuits; see panel upgrades. Newer commercial growth and homes near the airport add modern subdivisions with larger panels, a contrast with the older mill-era houses.

Mill-era houses

Compact older homes may have few outlets per room, which leads to power strips and extension cords. Adding outlets is safer. Older homes may have ungrounded outlets and no GFCI protection in kitchens and baths.

Named for the company

After the Pittsburgh Reduction Company became the Aluminum Company of America in 1907, it looked for a site in East Tennessee, drawn by hydroelectric power from the Little Tennessee River. It chose North Maryville, buying 700 acres by 1914, and the town incorporated as Alcoa in 1919. Homes built around the plant are now a century old in some cases. If yours still has original wiring, an update can make it safer and more useful; see rewiring older homes.