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Scooter,
If you’re not an electrician, don’t touch the job.
Aluminum branch circuit wiring that is spliced with standard wire connectors (wire nuts) can be very unsafe.
The only approved fix for splices (pigtails) is a special compression connector made by AMP that is available only to licensed electricians that are specially trained in its use. The other option is to make sure every switch and outlet is approved for use with alum wire (CO/ALR listed). That doesn’t help you with Al to Cu splices at fixtures, however.
There’s an excellent site on aluminum wiring hazards that spells this all out.
http://www1.mhv.net/~dfriedman/aluminum.htm
Good luck.
Replies
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Scooter,
If you're not an electrician, don't touch the job.
Aluminum branch circuit wiring that is spliced with standard wire connectors (wire nuts) can be very unsafe.
The only approved fix for splices (pigtails) is a special compression connector made by AMP that is available only to licensed electricians that are specially trained in its use. The other option is to make sure every switch and outlet is approved for use with alum wire (CO/ALR listed). That doesn't help you with Al to Cu splices at fixtures, however.
There's an excellent site on aluminum wiring hazards that spells this all out.
http://www1.mhv.net/~dfriedman/aluminum.htm
Good luck.
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I was told the same. The AMP pigtails are not terribly expensive, aside from having to go through an electrician. In fact, the aluminum itself is not all that dangerous except in loose, high-current conditions. It's just that the worst-case scenario has led to a lot of fires, so aluminum has acquired a pretty bad name. I replaced ours as it became convenient ... even the improperly made unboxed Cu/Al splices had caused no problems over 30 years. BTW, receptacles and such labeled Cu/Al are quite expensive.
Frankly, I wouldn't worry a whole lot about the Al except in high-current outlets or incompetently-wired circuits. Since Al is not illegal, replacing all of it is not a necessary condition of sale -- of course, if you can bargain for it, all the better. Give the buyer a discount and they'll forget about it.
*I'd have to second CAP's post. I've seen CO/ALR connections using regular wire nuts come apart, I assume from different rates of expansion/ contraction. There is a paste I've seen electricians use called Noalox .... its supposed to help prevent corrosion on CO/ALR connections. I think Andrew D. is just plain lucky ..... I haven't seen too many homes with ALR wiring without some sort of problem.
*CAP:You are absoultely right. I wasn't planning on actually doing this job. The guy is just a friend, and is trying to sell his home, and the buyers are insisting on these pigtails as a condition of sale. I have never run across the stuff, and I knew I couldn't advise him.As Dirty Harry once said, "A man's got to know his limitations."While I do run the occasional roll of romex, I wouldn't touch aluminum wiring with the proverbial 10 foot pole.Thanks, allScooter
*Outlets labled Co/Al are no longer allowed. The newer desination (maybe 20 yearws old now) is ALR/CO. Only use these outlets.The problem with aluminum wire is primarily that the aluminum will expand when it heats up. As it expands under the connection screws, the aluminum wire is deformed...flattened. After thousands of expansions, the wire is left loose. Loose wire = higher resistance = more heat produced and arcing = fires.
*Oh, I agree about lucky -- as for "incompetently wired" i meant most of the DIY wiring in the house. I didn't mean to make light of the copper-to-aluminum splices and such. But I think the risk has been overstated some, that a home is not automatically unsafe with it. Unfortunately the aluminum needs some inspection and upkeep, a bad thing where a fire hazard is involved.Anyone have a price for the AMP pigtails, installed? I know the ALR/CO receptacles ran about 50% more.
*Hope I didn't come off as derogatory ..... its just that over the years I've seen enough problems with aluminum wiring to be extremely wary of it. Up in an attic, I moved a wire to insulate and the wire crumbled in my hand. I 've seen intermitent problems where switches work and then don't work. You have a good handle on the problem but I suspect most folks don't.
*No, not at all. It's just one of those things, like having asbestos in your house, where everyone agrees you'd be better off without it but it's not necessarily worth tearing it out ... it 'depends'. And as I said, I've gotten rid of it as the opportunity came up ... A lot of the copper circuits were much worse fire hazards, ironically, such as the old cloth-insulated ones that had been overheated so badly by overlamped light fixtures that the insulation fell off like dust at the touch.I'm surprised that such a collossal mistake -- going to Al -- was made in the first place.
*I ran into this situation awhile back and learned it's not all that bad when handeled right. As others said, you will need an electircian to do the CopAlum pigtails where Alum and Copper are mixed to use standard fixtures. Where Alum to Alum splices are you should use crimps designed for Alum. After all the splices are crimped, and no Alum is running into copper devices, just make sure the Alum legs are fused properly.Most problems were from splices vibrating loose and overheating.I do most of my own electric ,but this one calls for sparky.
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Aluminum wire is only attractive when used for large feeders, thats why they quit useing it BUT....if the home passed inspection when it was built then it is still legally up to code and nobody can make you change it unless the inspection branch puts out a disconnect order. As an electrician I would advise tighting down all the connections on all circuits but being how difficult that can be it would be a good idea to go over the heavily loaded circuits, eg: baseboard heaters, stoves, water heater feeds. Handle with care!!! I have had more than my share of Al branch circuit wires break off short because of past misshandling.
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Which swear words does a professional electrician use when s/he breaks off a wire too short to work with? I know which ones I use...
*Scooter:I'm not in the trades, so I know my opnions don't carry much weight around here, but here goes. I'm a professional firefighter with some construction experience, and just finished wiring my new home. With copper. A few years back, here in sunny bakersfield, we had three attic fires in the same tract just as summer was kicking in good. All these homes had aluminum wiring to the roof mounted A/C units. I never followed up to find out who won the battle of the insurance companies, but it seemed a little too coincidental to us hose-draggers in the field. No solid proof, but there is NO aluminum wiring in MY house, with MY family.
*Again, a high-current device, and in an inaccessible area. Of course everyone uses copper alone today ... now, I suspect those plastic outlet boxes offer less protection than metal, anyone wonder about that? (I finally caved in and will use plastic upstairs, it's just too darn easy).
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Can anyone explain why muliconductor (i.e., stranded) AL wire (like an elecric range would use) is okay? Apparently appliances that accept large diameter wire do not need special AL appproved attachments. Is it that thermal cycling doesn't affect stranded AL wire?
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I have a customer that is selling a home wired with aluminum wiring in the early 60's. Their buyer wants the whole home "fixed" by pigtailing every junction box and receptical in the home. Currently, every connection is made with standard wire nuts.
Is this home safe in its present condition? Is the "fix" an appropriate request from a seller? What does the pigtailing encompass?
I am not an electrician, and have no experience with aluminum wiring, so I thank all of you that respond.