Question about Aluminum wiring, pigtails, and CO/ALR devices (2020 NEC)

R

RyanMP1011

Member
Location
Texas, United States
Occupation
Industrial Electrician
Hi all,

I'm a licensed electrician in Texas, and I'm trying to wrap my head around requirements for addressing Aluminum wiring and replacement of CO/ALR devices.

I own a townhouse which was built in 1971. Of course, all of the original wiring was aluminum. Some of the outlet boxes have been pigtailed, years ago, using Copalum crimp connectors, but not all. Some of the boxes have Aluminum wiring landed on CO/ALR devices, a few may even have CU-Only devices with Aluminum wiring landed.

Here is where I have an issue: If I have a CO/ALR receptacle in, for example, the kitchen that is loose or broken and I wish to replace it with a new receptacle, then I have to satisfy the requirements of 406.4(D)(3), (4), and (5). Those would be GFCI/AFCI protection, and Tamper-Resistant receptacles.

406.4(D)(4)(ex.) clarifies that the exception for extensions under 6ft, in 210.12(D)(ex.) shall not apply to replacements of receptacles.

So, even if I had a breaker panel which could accept GFCI/AFCI breakers (I don't, but I do plan on replacing it "eventually"), I'm also hamstrung by the Tamper-Resistant requirement, since there are no CO/ALR Tamper-Resistant receptacles and no exception to CO/ALR devices (although there is one for non-grounding receptacles). It seems like there are no provisions to replace a standard CO/ALR receptacle, since tamper-resistant is essentially required everywhere in a house, now.

Instead of replacing a $5 receptacle, I have to:
- Pigtail aluminum to copper using 2-4 bulky Alumiconn connectors
- Try to shove a dual-fuction AFCI/GFCI outlet into the box, putting even more stress on the aluminum.
- Alternatively, Install a dual-function AFCI/GFCI blank-face device at the breaker box, and a tamper-resistant duplex at the outlet

I also checked my city's amendments to their adoption of the 2020 NEC, and could not find any kind of "grandfather" clauses for this situation. I know this is my own house, and replacing receptacles isn't going to require permit & inspection, but I hate feeling that as a licensed electrician I would be violating the code simply by replacing a busted receptacle for a new, identical one.

Is there something I'm missing here? I really hope I'm just misunderstanding the code and someone can explain this to me, because these seem like absurd requirements for replacing existing CO/ALR receptacles which drive up the cost by at least 10x, while arguably creating more of a fire risk by adding a new point of failure to the aluminum. If a homeowner gets quoted over $500 just to replace one of these outlets (and satisfying the other requirements), I imagine there's a good possibility of that homeowner suddenly becoming very comfortable with replacing the outlet themselves, rules be damned.

I'd appreciate any insight, I'm always looking to better understand the code. Thanks in advance,

Ryan
 
Do you have a handy spouse or partner that is not an electrician?

I have used Wiremold extensions and have had to replace the existing box because the new device simply will not fit existing. One's ugly the other expensive.

I have placed AFCI devices directly next to an old fuse box and protected the entire circuit from that point on. With luck you won't have MWBCs, but don't hold your breath.
 
ptonsparky said:
Do you have a handy spouse or partner that is not an electrician?
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Sorry but I'm not sure what you mean by this.
ptonsparky said:
I have used Wiremold extensions and have had to replace the existing box because the new device simply will not fit existing. One's ugly the other expensive.
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I'd consider replacing the boxes, I mostly just worry about moving the aluminum around too much. Wiremold is a last resort for me, though.
ptonsparky said:
I have placed AFCI devices directly next to an old fuse box and protected the entire circuit from that point on. With luck you won't have MWBCs, but don't hold your breath.
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I don't think I have any MWBCs, as far as I could tell. I want to eventually, slowly, rewire this house. I have no attic or under floor access, so it's going to be a mess. Since I work industrial, this isn't an area I'm proficient in.
 
Do you have a handy spouse or partner that is not an electrician?
RyanMP1011 said:
Sorry but I'm not sure what you mean by this.

I'd consider replacing the boxes, I mostly just worry about moving the aluminum around too much. Wiremold is a last resort for me, though.

I don't think I have any MWBCs, as far as I could tell. I want to eventually, slowly, rewire this house. I have no attic or under floor access, so it's going to be a mess. Since I work industrial, this isn't an area I'm proficient in.
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It would not be your fault if they replaced some devices while you happened to be at work or out of town for a few hours.
 
The 2023 added an exception to permit non-tamper-resistant CO/ALR receptacles as replacements. The substantiation for the change is that tamper-resistant CO/ALR receptacles do not exist.
 
RyanMP1011 said:
If a homeowner gets quoted over $500 just to replace one of these outlets (and satisfying the other requirements), I imagine there's a good possibility of that homeowner suddenly becoming very comfortable with replacing the outlet themselves, rules be damned.

I'd appreciate any insight, I'm always looking to better understand the code. Thanks in advance,

Ryan
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Man that sucks. What kinda panel do you have?

Do you have a homeowners insurance?
The issue here is not "code" its they could not get insurance, no insurance carrier will cover AL wiring located inside the dwelling anymore.
I am working on a big rewire job on several townhomes right now that were all aluminum, the HOA has arranged financing for the owners as several are elderly and were not able to sell their townhomes, if your in a HOA it might be something to look into.
There are all kinds of cool "Old work" boxes these days, its not as hard to rewire as people think.
We looked into everything including a type of wiremold / under cab lighting that goes under the upper cabs and has chase for a 15A lighting circuit and two 20A appliance circuits + micro ckt etc.
 
pipe_bender said:
Man that sucks. What kinda panel do you have?
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The infamous FPE Stab-Lok
pipe_bender said:
Do you have a homeowners insurance?
The issue here is not "code" its they could not get insurance, no insurance carrier will cover AL wiring located inside the dwelling anymore.
I am working on a big rewire job on several townhomes right now that were all aluminum, the HOA has arranged financing for the owners as several are elderly and were not able to sell their townhomes, if your in a HOA it might be something to look into.
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I do have homeowners insurance, luckily it hasn't come up, yet
pipe_bender said:
There are all kinds of cool "Old work" boxes these days, its not as hard to rewire as people think.
We looked into everything including a type of wiremold / under cab lighting that goes under the upper cabs and has chase for a 15A lighting circuit and two 20A appliance circuits + micro ckt etc.
Click to expand...
So, the real reason I'm making this post is, my HOA is looking to "mitigate" the aluminum wiring in order to lower their insurance rates on the buildings. They are considering doing copper pigtails on all of the aluminum connections. I feel like they may end up opening a can of worms when the work is getting done.

Pigtails (especially those purple wire nuts) create another failure point, and I personally would feel better about using CO/ALR devices where possible. But then you get into this issue of replacing the receptacle, now it needs to be brought up to 2020 code.

Ideally every unit would be re-wired with copper, but at $20,000+ per unit vs $2,000 per unit, the financial choice is easy to make when you're just trying to satisfy insurance requirements.

I've been asked by our HOA insurance broker for some guidance on what direction to pursue, but as a professional I can't recommend methods that would technically violate the code, even if I personally disagree. I guess at the end of the day it's up to the insurance companies, but I'm not really happy with any of the cheaper options, and I sure as hell don't want purple wire nuts in my home.
 
I would recommend re-tightening every screw terminal and getting another 40-50 years out of it, maybe even longer with the improved contact area of the now-flattened wires.
 
LarryFine said:
I would recommend re-tightening every screw terminal and getting another 40-50 years out of it, maybe even longer with the improved contact area of the now-flattened wires.
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ptonsparky said:
Think torque screwdriver.
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I would be much more comfortable with re-torquing than adding pigtails, absolutely. Just those pesky insurance companies may feel differently.
 
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