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.
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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.
 
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.
 
RyanMP1011 said:
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.
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Insurance is a tricky business you don't really know what you have till you go to use it. the people here said they had no choice.
They found out that while they had paid for coverage any fires related to the aluminum wiring were excluded from the coverage by an exclusion clause. Since all the wiring was aluminum when a small fire happened at a receptacle in the community room the fire investigator checked the 'electrical box' the claim was denied. It was a tiny fire mostly water damage from fire dept.
They go to switch carriers and cant find anyone, carriers are leaving the state.
Major providers cancelled, non-renewed or pulled coverage from the coastal areas of MA and are looking to move to states with less regulations.
Home electrical fires account for roughly 1/3 of all fires, I herd at one of Mikes classes most of them are due to issues with lighting and receptacles not larger wires like feeders and fixed appliances.
Really at minimum what I would do is check what the alloy is if its not marked AA-8000 I'd be looking to replace all the AL smaller than #8 starting with the #12, the smaller the wire the more the chance of a fault and get some working panels with GFCI or AFCI breakers.
I genuinely feel bad for these folks, over 25 units here, the big insurance companies are a total scam.
Same thing with 'knob and tube' in the older homes about 10 years ago that was all the rage. Now is AL wiring.
 
RyanMP1011 said:
Is there something I'm missing here?
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Check if your local jurisdiction extends building permit requirements to "devices". They may end their authority at the wires.
In which case put in whatever makes you happy, and document it for in case your insurance company asks you uncomfortable questions.

Your concern about stress cracking on AL conductors is warranted.
Make sure the wires are treated well, torqued property, and slathered in grease.
Those connections have a way of getting loose over time, here's where a good torque wrench could really save the day.

---
Given AL or Knob & Tube, definitely if you could choose go with the gold old reliable K&T.
 
RyanMP1011 said:
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.
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Another one for the "code gets in the way of the most reasonable solution" file.
 
brycenesbitt said:
Another one for the "code gets in the way of the most reasonable solution" file.
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Yet the first time a PI was submitted calling the panel's attention the the fact that tamper resistant CO/ALR do not exist, the panel added language to permit replacement receptacles, in areas that now require tamper resistant. to be non-tamper resistant CO/ALR receptacles where the branch circuit conductors are aluminum.
 
brycenesbitt said:
A more robust version of that would be to permit use of older receptacles in all cases where ALR rated receptacles are not available.
With the tricky part being defining "not available". But not distributed new in USA should be enough.
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Looking forward to your PI.
With the CO/ALR, no manufacturer even has any plans to produce a tamper resistant version.
 
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