Aluminum wire to regular receptacles

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JohnDS

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Suffolk, Long Island
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Electrician
Hello guys,

Im just replacing a receptacle outlet and the old receptacle is attached with aluminum wiring. I know that when splicing copper wire to aluminum wire you need special wire nuts, but in this case there is no splicing needed. There is also no grounding wire so I plan to take a ground from the metal box.

My question is, is it ok to just reconnect the aluminum wiring to the new receptacle and it be safe? I dont need penotrox or anything do I?
 
JohnDS said:
Hello guys,

Im just replacing a receptacle outlet and the old receptacle is attached with aluminum wiring. I know that when splicing copper wire to aluminum wire you need special wire nuts, but in this case there is no splicing needed. There is also no grounding wire so I plan to take a ground from the metal box.

My question is, is it ok to just reconnect the aluminum wiring to the new receptacle and it be safe? I dont need penotrox or anything do I?
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As said device must be rated for terminating aluminum conductors. Most the ones you find are not, but there are aluminum rated devices available.

Why is there no ground? Is the box grounded via a metal raceway? If the box is not grounded and you connect ground terminal to box you still have no ground.
 
Thanks guys for your prompt responses. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to respond quickly as I have been so busy.

KWired: In response to your question, there actually is a grounding wire, it was tucked back there in the box hiding. I actually thought it was ran in 2 wire BX without a ground at first glance thats why I was planning on tapping a ground from the box.
 
JohnDS said:
Thanks guys for your prompt responses. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to respond quickly as I have been so busy.

KWired: In response to your question, there actually is a grounding wire, it was tucked back there in the box hiding. I actually thought it was ran in 2 wire BX without a ground at first glance thats why I was planning on tapping a ground from the box.
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Almost all aluminum BX style cable is in fact AC cable listed in 320.100, and it will have a small flat aluminum wire that does not require to be connected to anything, it is not like a ground wire and is only provided to short the turns of the armor, this makes AC cable as a listed means of grounding and is listed in 250.118, so bonding to the box is allowed.
 
hurk27 said:
Almost all aluminum BX style cable is in fact AC cable listed in 320.100, and it will have a small flat aluminum wire that does not require to be connected to anything, it is not like a ground wire and is only provided to short the turns of the armor, this makes AC cable as a listed means of grounding and is listed in 250.118, so bonding to the box is allowed.
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I don't think he is talking about BX as the wiring is aluminum. I have never seen BX with aluminum wiring other than the aluminum strip you mentioned
 
Most of the installed aluminum wiring on 15 and 20 amp circuits is of the older alloy and has a history of connection failures even when used with CU/AL rated device. When the newer alloy came out the CO/ALR devices were also introduced. These devices used with new alloy wire have performed well. I am not sure how well the CO/ALR devices work with older alloy alunimum wiring.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I don't think he is talking about BX as the wiring is aluminum. I have never seen BX with aluminum wiring other than the aluminum strip you mentioned
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While it is not common I have seen it, we have a few houses with aluminum AC cable, and if it has the strip it is AC cable not really BX.

I have also seen tinned copper mistaken for aluminum, also very common in AC cable around the early 60's, but I have also seen aluminum AC cable yes with aluminum current conductors.

I agree older BX has never had aluminum conductors, like above I have seen tinned copper which many not experience with it will think its aluminum, but if it is BX it wont have the shorting strip, as that is when BX changes to AC cable.
 
Actully back in the 70's when the big copper shortage hit from the South American mines shut down (I think it was a strike) we saw every type of aluminum cable and THWN hit the market including UF.
 
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