Aluminum wiring

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I'm not sure if this is a NEC question.
Is there a standard for upgrading houses with aluminum wiring? Adding the copper pigtails etc.

Thanks
 

bdarnell

Senior Member
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Occupation
Retired Engineer
110.14 is the Code reference for joining conductors with dissimilar metals. As far as a "standard" for upgrading, the only two recognized methods are pigtailing with Ideal's purple wirenuts and a compression method by AMP. The latter requires training and certification to even get the tool that it takes.

We just had my Dad's house done with the Ideal wirenuts. It took the guy two days and cost around $2000.00
 

bphgravity

Senior Member
Location
Florida
If I understand the problem with small AL conductors of the old AA series grade, it was at the termination points. That grade of AL couldn't handle such a small bending radius that would be found in outlet boxes.

I also wonder if many of the failures were do to receptacles not rated for CO/ALR connections?
 

don_resqcapt19

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Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Bryan,
CO/ALR came on the market at the same time as the newer aluminum alloy conductors. Those devices were not available for the older installations where the problems occurred.
Don
 

bphgravity

Senior Member
Location
Florida
Thanks Don, that clears up that question.

What about circuit breakers and AL wiring. The only thing I could find from UL is this:

A suitable marking is required in a circuit breaker enclosure, whether or not terminals are mounted therein, if it is intended that the breaker to be mounted therein is to be used with aluminum wire.

AND

Most terminals are suitable for use only with copper wire. Where aluminum or copper-clad aluminum wire can or shall be used (some crimp terminals may be Listed only for aluminum wire), there is marking to indicate this. Such marking is required to be independent of any marking on terminal connectors, such as on a wiring diagram or other visible location. The marking may be in an abbreviated form, such as "AL-CU."


Copper Pigtail Leads ? Copper pigtail leads may be used with aluminum or copper-clad aluminum supply wires in dry locations if 1) the splicing devices are Listed for use in joining copper to aluminum, 2) there is sufficient wiring space, and 3) the means provided for connecting the wiring system are acceptable for the wire size used.

Wiring Devices ? Supply terminals of 15 A and 20 A switches and receptacles not marked "CO/ALR" are for use with copper and copper-clad aluminum conductors only. Terminals marked "CO/ALR" are for use with aluminum, copper and copper-clad aluminum conductors.

Screwless pressure terminal connectors of the conductor push-in type are for use only with copper and copper-clad aluminum conductors, both solid and stranded, unless otherwise limited by marking.

Terminals of switches and receptacles rated 30 A and above not marked "AL/CU" are for use with copper conductors only. Terminals of switches rated 30 A and above marked "AL/CU" are for use with aluminum, copper and copper-clad aluminum conductors.

Wire Connectors ? Combinations of dissimilar conductors in terminal or splicing connectors are acceptable only in dry locations and when the connectors are identified as suitable for such intermixing. See also the information under Wire Connectors and Soldering Lugs
 

memyselfandI

Senior Member
I have run into this problem here in VA where in the area that I live there is aluminum and copper houses. It is like a crap shoot (not the stinky kind) as to which one is there. A certain national chain of home improvement centers has given information to my customer that all they need to do is squirt some of this goo in a wirenut and then connect their copper to aluminum. After hearing this I went to this home improvement center and asked for the purple Ideal wirenuts and the person said that they don't stock them but then he directed me to the goo. I asked him to read what was on the package of wirenuts that he was selling his customers, it said "For copper conductors only". HE proceeded to explain that this is what his boss told him to say and that he was just following orders. Reminds me of the Nuremberg trials. I passed this along just for informational purposes and I have instructed my customers that just because someone works at a home improvement center does not make them an expert.
 
Aluminum wiring

Thanks for all the useful information. But I'm still looking for sort of a comprehensive guideline for correcting aluminum wired houses, if one exists.

What I know now is:
Use listed devices approved for aluminum, then you would not need the special wirenut.
or
Use the special wirenuts and pigtail copper to your existing devices.

What originally got me confused was I ran across devices that had been re-wired using regular wire nuts and nolox to the hot and neutral, but not on the ground. Also in the panel they pigtailed the hots but not the neutrals or grounds. Any reasoning behind this method?

Thanks again.
Bob
 

macmikeman

Senior Member
Thanks for all the useful information. But I'm still looking for sort of a comprehensive guideline for correcting aluminum wired houses, if one exists.

What I know now is:
Use listed devices approved for aluminum, then you would not need the special wirenut.
or
Use the special wirenuts and pigtail copper to your existing devices.


You left out one other highly recommended method- Gut and replace with copper wiring....
 

bdarnell

Senior Member
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Occupation
Retired Engineer
Re: Aluminum wiring

bobrenwick said:
Thanks for all the useful information. But I'm still looking for sort of a comprehensive guideline for correcting aluminum wired houses, if one exists.

This is about as comprehensive as I can find. Keep in mind that it's more of an ad for AMP.

What originally got me confused was I ran across devices that had been re-wired using regular wire nuts and nolox to the hot and neutral, but not on the ground. Also in the panel they pigtailed the hots but not the neutrals or grounds. Any reasoning behind this method?

The reasoning was mostly ignorance of the Code Article 110.14 as I mentioned above. While it may have been a "Stopgap" solution and arguably better than nothing, but it's doomed to failure at some point.
 
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