I KNOW this has been answered, but I can’t search yet. We really like a house that has AL wiring for about half of it. The inspector opened some switches and showed me the copper and aluminum pigtailed together and said that it needs to be redone – he said unless it has a high compression crimp and a special sleeve (COPALUM) that it isn’t safe. The electrician didn’t pull any switch plates and says that the Aluminum wiring is OK because it was just circuits to big items (range, dryer, and AC) and the outlets were rated CU/AL. What I find on the CPSC site validates what the inspector is saying, but I am confused, so I want more opinions from you guys (I know, a bunch of 12 year old girls with computers, but still, I’ve known some of you online for 9 years so you’re at least 21). My thought is to just rewire the darn thing. I don’t want to pay a few thousand now only to have whatever the fix is go out of style in 10 years and I’ll have to do something else. Unless one of you is certified to do COPALUM and works in the Long Island area and can give me a deal 🙂
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Aluminum wiring to the "big items" is and will be fine provided it is sized correctly. AL wire will need to be larger in size than Cu to carry the same amperage, generally one size larger.
As you already know there are approved connectors for cu-al transitions.
My BIL owned a house with Al wiring for years, he found that opening switches and outlets every few years and tightening screws kept everything working well.
You mentioned an "inspector" and an "electrician" - who opened what? I would suggest that you open everything and see just what is present.
The problem which I saw on BIL's house was loosening of outlet connection screws on heavily loaded outlets. Some to the point of arcing.
Jim
The pigtail of copper using a wire nut and anti-ox gunk was for a number of years the "legal" way to "fix" Al wiring. That technique went out of style (in favor of the crimp scheme) and eventually out of code, but it's arguable that it was more due to the lobbying of the crimp companies (and anti-DIY electricians) than to any deficiency of the wire-nut scheme.
There is also a line of push connectors that is listed for Cu/Al connections, allowing the job to be done by a DIYer.
Thanks for the info guys. The inspector opened a bunch of switches and outlets and found al in several. The sparky looked at the panel and decided based on the amps of the circuits that only the stove, water heater, dryer and a couple of AC units were al. However there is only one AC unit in the house so I think the other 15amp may be the one going to the miscellaneous outlets, switches and overhead lights.
The purple wire nuts were not used in the pigtailing that was done - this predates that and is just a simple pigtail. I don't know what the anti-oxidant goop looks like, but the ones I saw looked pretty clean and goop-free to me.
>>I don't know what the
>>I don't know what the anti-oxidant goop looks like..<<
Black / dark gray grease like substance, dries somewhat over time (years).
Marketed under the names of "AL-NOX" or "Ox-Gard" to name a few. Comes in a squeeze tube or "brush-in-lid" type can for larger quantities.
A single squeeze tube will do your entire house several times over.
Any electrical supply house or BB store will have it. Cheap.
You should be seeing it on every Al wire connection - applied to the bare Al wire itself - not a puddle.
Jim