Alu wiring

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djd

Senior Member
Whats the common practice for 14 thru 10 gauge alu wiring. I worked on a job where we replaced it all and cut and patched holes as neccesary and even found a splice inside of a wall ,the splice was not showing any degradation though. I bring this up because we used to just tail off at the devices, I felt this was a little extreme , seeing that I did not see any smoke detectors in the play, we the buried splice this may have been a good Idea but always the cost has to be pretty high and the problems are normally at the connections .
 
In the interests of your safety, I will sum up a few of the "Electrical Commandments," from the "Book of the NEC:"

1) Thou shallt not bury any kind of splices, for salvation is found within thy junction boxes;
2) Thou shallt not mix wire sizes or types;
3) Thou shalt not repair or re-use aluminum wire, but verilly thou shalt replace the entire run of thy cursed aluminum;
4) Thou shalt use complete cables, including a full-size ground wire, and not string individual wires through thy hidden places.

There are short cuts or easy fixes.
 
It's probably safe to say that nobody has installed new aluminum in 14 ga,

12ga, or 10ga since the early seventies. The problem was at recptacle

connections. How ever in the larger sizes it is still installed.
 
djd

djd

Twoskinsoneman said:
Cannot use 14awg Alu. Also I believe the common practice is not to install alu. of 12-10awg sizes. In my few years of resi work I've never seen it installed new.
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I am talking about a approx 40 year old house, we used to just tail off to the devices, pulling all of the alu is costly, I wanted to ask what what some of think of that versus pulling the wire out and damaging walls, in this house it was worth it because of the buried splices.
 
djd

djd

renosteinke said:
In the interests of your safety, I will sum up a few of the "Electrical Commandments," from the "Book of the NEC:"

1) Thou shallt not bury any kind of splices, for salvation is found within thy junction boxes;
2) Thou shallt not mix wire sizes or types;
3) Thou shalt not repair or re-use aluminum wire, but verilly thou shalt replace the entire run of thy cursed aluminum;
4) Thou shalt use complete cables, including a full-size ground wire, and not string individual wires through thy hidden places.

There are short cuts or easy fixes.
Click to expand...
My question was not clear I know you cant use alu no. 14,12, or 10 gauge wire. I was seeing what people thik of just tailing off to the devices instead off stripping all of the old wire out.oh also I dont splice in walls either.
 
djd said:
I am talking about a approx 40 year old house, we used to just tail off to the devices, pulling all of the alu is costly, I wanted to ask what what some of think of that versus pulling the wire out and damaging walls, in this house it was worth it because of the buried splices.
Click to expand...

Just the presence of Alu is not enough for me to re-wire. Splicing of Cu pigtailed to the Alu with the proper connector is the right answer here.
 
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