czars
Czars
- Location
- West Melbourne, FL
- Occupation
- Florida Certified Electrical Contractor
Does anyone know who sells 20 A SPST (wall) toggle switches and receptacles for aluminum wire?
Wall switches for aluminum wire
- Thread starter czars
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Pigtail a piece of copper to the alum and use a listed wirenut for co/al.czars said:
czars
Czars
- Location
- West Melbourne, FL
- Occupation
- Florida Certified Electrical Contractor
Good advice. However, if I could find switches for Al/Cu I would use them. Unfortunately, I've not found any locally, hence the reason for the question. Pigtailing would work too if there was room in the box for Ideal 65's but there isn't.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
czars said:
Can you cut in a deeper box
brantmacga
Señor Member
- Location
- Georgia
- Occupation
- Former Child
our local big orange sells al/cu leviton devices. check w/ yours.
Ken9876
Senior Member
- Location
- Jersey Shore
HD had them at one time I still think they do around here.
kelley
Member
- Location
- Massachusetts
- Occupation
- Estimator
Any supply house should be able to get them for you (cu/al device). I had the same thing come up this week. My local guy has them in ivory, white and brown in a limited supply at about 4 times the cost of a standard device. I did ask if they are available in TR yet and he did not think they were.
Kelley
Kelley
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I scoured Leviton's site. CO/ALR switches are only available in 15a residential-grade.brantmacga said:
The closest any of their 20a switches come is copper or copper-clad aluminum.
brantmacga
Señor Member
- Location
- Georgia
- Occupation
- Former Child
LarryFine said:
i wasn't paying attention to the 20A part. you are correct, 15a residential is what they sell.
kelley
Member
- Location
- Massachusetts
- Occupation
- Estimator
480sparky said:
I agree. I didnt look myself, so they might/should be out there.
Kelley
mdshunk
Senior Member
- Location
- Right here.
My question would be this... do you really need 20A switches? Switches are permitted to be sized to the connected load, even if they are on a 20A circuit. Seems like a great deal of the time, 15A switches on a 20A circuit would suit fine.
czars
Czars
- Location
- West Melbourne, FL
- Occupation
- Florida Certified Electrical Contractor
Thanks Marc. You are right. Switches can be sized to the load, so 15 A switches are OK on 20 A circuits if the loads are small enough. The Big Box store near here does have 15 A switches and receptacles, but they are pricy.
mdshunk
Senior Member
- Location
- Right here.
Aluminium was seldom used for small branch circuit wiring in my area, so the supply houses don't really stock al/cu devices. I have to go to Lowe's to get an AL rated switch or receptacle when the need arises. I try to keep one spare receptacle on the truck. I think they're about 4 bucks when I need one, but that's so seldom that it really doesn't matter. If you need it, you need it.czars said:
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
HD has SP and 3W 15a CO/ALR Leviton switches for $4.17 and $5.99, respectively. I don't know if you consider that 'pricey'.
glene77is
Senior Member
- Location
- Memphis, TN
The reference to the Purple Cure wirenut reminded me of the website
for Aluminum Wiring. www.Inspect-NY.com
Here is a partial quote from the hundreds of pages devoted to the problems, and cures for Aluminum Wiring. The last section basically recommends that Do Not use the Purple wirenut because it rates with the same fire-hazard as the other ordinary wirenuts. I've done tests with the purple wirenut where the anti-oxide burned at the touch of a match, and the purple shell burned/melted down to a lump exposing the wires. Most anti-oxides will burn and most wirenuts (except a hard-shell) will burn and melt. I have used King AlumiConn (set screw) connectors with excellent results (see them mentioned below). I had to order them at $2.50 each, but they worked.
Check the site.
You will gain a healthy respect for this old 70's wiring.
Start quote:
* Photo of the AMP COPALUM aluminum wiring connector recommended by the US CPSC COPALUM Copper-to-Aluminum Pigtailing Use the special AMP (now TYCO) COPALUM connector and special tool to connect short copper wires to every aluminum wire end in the Building, reconnecting the copper to the various devices (outlets, switches, lights) and splices.
The TYCO COPALUM connector method is described is described at PIGTAILING USING AMP "COPALUM" CONNECTORS.
COPALUM Aluminum Wire Connector Availability discusses how to get these aluminum wire connectors
* Photo of the AlumiConn aluminum wire lug connector sold by King Innovations AlumiConn TM aluminum to copper lug connectors [New in 2006, U.L. Listed, 2007 completed independent testing] available from King Innovation. Results of independent testing indicate that this product "... is predicted to have a high probability of failure-free long-term safe performance, PROVIDED THAT THE SETSCREWS ARE CAREFULLY TIGHTENED TO THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATION".
* Photo of the 3M Scotchlok wiring connector which can be used for aluminum wiring repairs, has tested successfully but has not been recommended by the US CPSCScotchlok 3M Special Method [- superceded by new alternate repair as of June 2007 -]: this ""Scotchlok 3M Special Method was previously recommended as independent tests showed that it performed acceptably. While this repair method has been superceded by new alternate repair as of June 2007, we have kept this description available to aid home buyers, electricians and home inspectors who may discover or need to be able to recognize this aluminum wire repair method if it was previously used in the building. A summary of this method is at "Scotchlok 3M connector" and details of this method are at Aluminum Wire alternative repair: Special Aluminum Wire Repair Method
* Photo of the Ideal 65 purple twister aluminum wire connector which is NOT RECOMMENDED Other methods - not recommended: Warnings regarding other "repair" methods which are not recommended are discussed at OTHER REPAIR PRODUCTS, such as the Ideal 65 purple "Twister" connector shown in the photo at left (12 connectors cost $49. to $79.), receptacles and outlets marked "COALR" (even if these worked, which has not been demonstrated, what about all of the other electrical connections and splices in the building?) and others.
for Aluminum Wiring. www.Inspect-NY.com
Here is a partial quote from the hundreds of pages devoted to the problems, and cures for Aluminum Wiring. The last section basically recommends that Do Not use the Purple wirenut because it rates with the same fire-hazard as the other ordinary wirenuts. I've done tests with the purple wirenut where the anti-oxide burned at the touch of a match, and the purple shell burned/melted down to a lump exposing the wires. Most anti-oxides will burn and most wirenuts (except a hard-shell) will burn and melt. I have used King AlumiConn (set screw) connectors with excellent results (see them mentioned below). I had to order them at $2.50 each, but they worked.
Check the site.
You will gain a healthy respect for this old 70's wiring.
Start quote:
* Photo of the AMP COPALUM aluminum wiring connector recommended by the US CPSC COPALUM Copper-to-Aluminum Pigtailing Use the special AMP (now TYCO) COPALUM connector and special tool to connect short copper wires to every aluminum wire end in the Building, reconnecting the copper to the various devices (outlets, switches, lights) and splices.
The TYCO COPALUM connector method is described is described at PIGTAILING USING AMP "COPALUM" CONNECTORS.
COPALUM Aluminum Wire Connector Availability discusses how to get these aluminum wire connectors
* Photo of the AlumiConn aluminum wire lug connector sold by King Innovations AlumiConn TM aluminum to copper lug connectors [New in 2006, U.L. Listed, 2007 completed independent testing] available from King Innovation. Results of independent testing indicate that this product "... is predicted to have a high probability of failure-free long-term safe performance, PROVIDED THAT THE SETSCREWS ARE CAREFULLY TIGHTENED TO THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATION".
* Photo of the 3M Scotchlok wiring connector which can be used for aluminum wiring repairs, has tested successfully but has not been recommended by the US CPSCScotchlok 3M Special Method [- superceded by new alternate repair as of June 2007 -]: this ""Scotchlok 3M Special Method was previously recommended as independent tests showed that it performed acceptably. While this repair method has been superceded by new alternate repair as of June 2007, we have kept this description available to aid home buyers, electricians and home inspectors who may discover or need to be able to recognize this aluminum wire repair method if it was previously used in the building. A summary of this method is at "Scotchlok 3M connector" and details of this method are at Aluminum Wire alternative repair: Special Aluminum Wire Repair Method
* Photo of the Ideal 65 purple twister aluminum wire connector which is NOT RECOMMENDED Other methods - not recommended: Warnings regarding other "repair" methods which are not recommended are discussed at OTHER REPAIR PRODUCTS, such as the Ideal 65 purple "Twister" connector shown in the photo at left (12 connectors cost $49. to $79.), receptacles and outlets marked "COALR" (even if these worked, which has not been demonstrated, what about all of the other electrical connections and splices in the building?) and others.
- Status