aluminum wiring

mannyb

Senior Member
Location
Florida
Occupation
Electrician
we have a customer, apartment complex, that has aluminum wiring starting to affect devices. I have read different reviews on how to remedy this issue. Any suggestions whats the best solution. i see different reviews on twisting aluminum and copper together with purple wiring nuts vs mechanical connector.
 
I use the purple wire nuts. What type of mechanical connector are you thinking of?

As you know the original devices are listed for aluminum. You could get new aluminum rated devices. It's been my experience that some of the problems come from when they are changed to a copper only device. Also space heaters.

You could suggest to the customer that every time an apartment gets empty, rewire it in copper.
 
You could suggest to the customer that every time an apartment gets empty, rewire it in copper.
Might not be practical since that would almost certainly mean having to tear apart drywall. I've never been "in this game" myself, but from the guys who came from the field and encountered it, all preferred to go with a mechanical connection to a copper pigtail. I've seen a crimp style that looks like a short ferrule on the pegs at big box stores, so that's probably what they were using.
 
One solution is to use an AlumiConn terminal block for each aluminum conductor. They do take up space in the box and if you are under the 2023 NEC, you have to factor them in as Box Fill.
 
I usually recommend turning off the power and tightening every device terminal screw.

That should get you another 40-50 years or more, with improved contact with the now-flattened wires.
 
I usually recommend turning off the power and tightening every device terminal screw.

That should get you another 40-50 years or more, with improved contact with the now-flattened wires.
One option i considered was taking off the wire nuts and terminating wire on al/cu device it self. Making the device the "wire nut". For some reason most have a copper pig tail on devices with aluminum.
 
we have a customer, apartment complex, that has aluminum wiring
Have your customer check with their insurance we did some aluminum wiring removal for a building here and it was related to the owners insurance coverage. Apparently it was worth it to just re-wiring to copper.
 
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