Question for everyone. We aren’t allowed to make copper to aluminum connections with proper connectors, so why are some newer lights wired with aluminum wiring and are able to wire to your standard copper wiring? They literally send you the orange wire nuts in the package. My question here is a little deeper. I’m wiring a new stacked oven that only requires 30 amps. The whip on the oven(from the manufacturer) is aluminum. The old oven has #6 aluminum ran into a 4 square(you know the typical blank plate, split bolt connection). I was thinking about using the split bolt connection again, with rubber tape and electrical tape, but the whip from the manufacturer is #10 aluminum. I don’t like the difference in wire size and feel like it could have a better connection. I was thinking about running 10/3 copper to it, but the aluminum whip from the manufacturer throws me off. What’s going on here? Are they not enforcing manufacturers to use copper?
Aluminum whip on 30 amp oven
- Thread starter VoltLLC
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- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
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- Retired PV System Designer
Is #10 Al rated for that current?
Yea I was there wiring it up today. It’s a double stacked oven. I thought it was strange myself. Even a lot of lights and fans that I install, have aluminum wiring
Please post the brand and model #.
It’s straight out of the box. Manufacturer whip already connected to it. It only needs 30 amps. I was going to change the existing breaker(40) to a 30, but the whip is throwing me off. I guess the manufacturer knows most ranges are ran in aluminum and they wanted to keep it the same
CaféTM 30" Slide-In Front Control Dual-Fuel Convection Range with Warming Drawer C2S900P2MS1
Yea it’s honestly throwing me a curve ball. I’m a licensed electrician and I usually come on this forum to see if I can find similar scenarios, but couldn’t, so I made a thread. The whip that they supplied is a metal flex with aluminum wire. Think I’ll be alright doing the split bolt connection, rubber tape, then electrical tape?
jimport
Senior Member
- Location
- Outside Baltimore Maryland
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
Polaris connectors will save you a lot of time vs split bolts and taping.
I was thinking about using Polaris lugs
I have only seen fine strand AL cable once & it was for aircraft use. Since weight is a major consideration not was surprised.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Can you post some photo's of the whip?
I think you might have just answered my question. It’s definitely tinned copper
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
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- Electrical Contractor
I'm going to make an assumption that the oven is UL listed (that usually gets me into some trouble
). That said, manufacturers can install lamp cord if they wished (I'm joking) and if that passes a UL inspection then your responsibility ends at the point of connection.From my experience, I've found that any oven that has an AL feeder or an internal wiring of AL will have some corrosion at some point in time (whether it be a week, a month or ten years). At some point that connection will fail IMHO.
goldstar
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I would bet that's the case. If you look carefully at the ends of the wire strands you'll probably see the copper conductors.
I was today old when I realized there is tinned copper
I was always curious why a lot of lights and appliances looked like it was aluminum, but they’ve always been finely threaded. Makes a lot of since now- Status