Aluminum Wire Repair

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goldstar

goldstar

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
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Electrical Contractor
I had a service call on saturday where the house had at least 3 circuits with aluminum branch wiring. One receptacle burnt to a crisp. I've been searching on-line for aluminum repair products but haven't been successful. I saw a product that I thought would work best called "Copalum". It requires a special crimper and crimp sleeves and shrink tube but I keep getting directed to a company in Colorado. I'm trying to find something local or available for purchase on the Internet. Anyone have any suggestions ? Thanks in advance.
 
Lowes sells these

719362951102.jpg
 
The purple wirenuts are also rated for copper to al however not al to al so you have to stick a short piece of copper in it.

783250739851.jpg
 
Thanks Dennis. I saw those and I'll have to check them out. My concern was having enough space inside the JB after making the splice. Not sure how much space these devices take up.
 
goldstar said:
Thanks Dennis. I saw those and I'll have to check them out. My concern was having enough space inside the JB after making the splice. Not sure how much space these devices take up.
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Might need to have a surface extension box handy just in case.
 
I've used Wiremold 1-gang extension boxes on occasion but I was trying to avoid that if possible. Looks ugly and adds to the total cose of the job. I was researching the AL-CU wire connectors that Dennis posted and they work out to about $2.80@ (tax included) for a pack of 100. They might work if they're small enough to get into the JB. If it's only for a duplex receptacle I think it will fit. One of the 1-G metal JB's that I opened up in this house had one 12/3 and two 12/2 AL wires in it. That one may require the Wiremold Extension collar.
 
goldstar said:
I've used Wiremold 1-gang extension boxes on occasion but I was trying to avoid that if possible. Looks ugly and adds to the total cose of the job. I was researching the AL-CU wire connectors that Dennis posted and they work out to about $2.80@ (tax included) for a pack of 100. They might work if they're small enough to get into the JB. If it's only for a duplex receptacle I think it will fit. One of the 1-G metal JB's that I opened up in this house had one 12/3 and two 12/2 AL wires in it. That one may require the Wiremold Extension collar.
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The other alternative is to replace cables with copper, which probably will cost even more.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
The purple wirenuts are also rated for copper to al however not al to al so you have to stick a short piece of copper in it.
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That sounds kind of weird doesn't it :?
If you have a wirenut with anti-oxident inside it that's not approved for two AL wires. On the other hand, if you have a insulated crimp with anti-oxident in it, that's approved for 2 AL wires (I believe that's what the Copalum product is)
 
I know we've all seen photos like this before but this is what I found at this residence. AND, the guy never smelled anything burning. :slaphead: This was the receptacle where his computer was plugged in. That receptacle was working but everything down-stream was out.



 
They seldom smell anything burning because it happens pretty slowly. It is often only discovered when deteriorated enough they completely lose power to something.
 
Still seems kind of odd. It wasn't only the insulation on the wire that melted but the receptacle itself actually melted and one of the blades on the plugmold burnt as well.
 
K8MHZ said:
That happens with copper, too. Usually the culprit is the super cheap receptacles that were used. Like these:
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Yes it does. But, the reason AL branch circuit wiring was outlawed was due primarily to the house fires resulting from AL wire conenctions in Levittown, NY where this type wire was used.
 
I went to Lowe's today and found the first AL splice product that Dennis posted. When all is said and done it ends up being about the same size as one of the purple wire nuts. Now you have to try and fit two of these inside a 1-G JB in most cases. In the cases where you have multiple wires inside a JB then I would have to use a Wiremold extension collar. Why wouldn't I be able to use this product as long as I apply anti-oxident before I crimp and then use heat shrink over the crimp ?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ideal-St...-100-Standard-Package-2-Bags-30-410/300496095

What is the difference between the Ideal crimp and this Copalum method ?:

http://www.alwirerepair.com/photo-gallery/copalum-crimp-method
 
goldstar said:
I went to Lowe's today and found the first AL splice product that Dennis posted. When all is said and done it ends up being about the same size as one of the purple wire nuts. Now you have to try and fit two of these inside a 1-G JB in most cases. In the cases where you have multiple wires inside a JB then I would have to use a Wiremold extension collar. Why wouldn't I be able to use this product as long as I apply anti-oxident before I crimp and then use heat shrink over the crimp ?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ideal-St...-100-Standard-Package-2-Bags-30-410/300496095

What is the difference between the Ideal crimp and this Copalum method ?:

http://www.alwirerepair.com/photo-gallery/copalum-crimp-method
Click to expand...

Other than the fact that the back of the bag pictured in the Home Desperate ad specifically states copper-to-copper only, not for aluminum?

Just adding anti-oxidant to a product not UL listed for aluminum does NOT make it approved or even safe.
One of the problems is differential expansion between conductor and crimp, and anti-ox has no effect whatever on that.
 
Good point. I guess that squashes that idea. I'm sure I'm not the first to come up with that idea.
 
goldstar said:
Yes it does. But, the reason AL branch circuit wiring was outlawed was due primarily to the house fires resulting from AL wire conenctions in Levittown, NY where this type wire was used.
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NEC never outlawed AL wiring, we just figured out that there is too many problems on small aluminum conductors for them to be worthwhile installing, and for the most part the lack of demand means little or no production of small aluminum conductors as well. Some local jurisdictions may have outlawed it though.
 
goldstar said:
Why wouldn't I be able to use this product as long as I apply anti-oxident before I crimp and then use heat shrink over the crimp ?
Click to expand...

FYI, as I recall, the Copalum barrel crimp has a lot of little holes inside that, when the crimp is compressed against the aluminum conductor, results in bits of the aluminum extruding into the crimp holes. The aluminum extrusion to barrel crimp hole metal-to-metal contact is a gas free connection, so the aluminum has no chance to form oxides during extrusion or for the rest of the time that the metal-to-metal contact remains undisturbed. Copalum connections are done without oxidation inhibiting pastes, as a result.

The compression tool is a rent-to-use-only device and one must be factory trained to use it (last I knew.) The Copalum is locked down under proprietary procedure licensing. The actual finished splice of small branch circuit aluminum conductors to copper conductors is a small volume thing not unlike the volume of the original wire nut. But the bureaucratic hassle with the manufacturer is enormous if one is only repairing an occasional failed device.

As Golddigger notes, using a listed Al/Cu splicing means is the limiting bar that we have to rise to.
 
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