aluminum wiring

[sethas]

I was looking through the web site here, and under the aluminum wiring link, found out about the COPALUM method. Has any one used this before? How do you like it? How well does it work? How do you get the products, and become certified to install it? We have a lot of older mobile homes and 55 and over comunities that have aluminum wiring, and we have used the ideal purple wire nuts, so far with no problems, but based upon those pictures, I have some second thoughts. Thanks.

 

[mdshunk]

Re: aluminum wiring

Copalum is an AMP product, now Tyco. You need to attand their little dog and pony show in order to buy the tool and the crimps. I did so almost 15 years ago, and use the system from time to time. I do consider it the Cadillac method, but mostly I encourage people to just rewire.

 

[luke warmwater]

Re: aluminum wiring

I thought that you Rent the tool, not buy it.
Around here, they charge $80 per opening. So a 3-gang box costs $240. Now the kicker is all of the devices might not fit back into the box, so for an Extra Charge they will rip the wall apart and install a bigger box, or they will install a surface-mount Deep wiremold extention box, if possible.
At those prices, it is cheaper to do a re-wire, and it would be a better job.