Look at photo and see if you can tell if proper

**Gene South** · 10-07-2010, 12:45 PM

This house has aluminum branch wiring to this kitchen GFCI. The outlet has been pig-tailed with copper. Looking at the photo, can you tell if the proper type type of Aluminum to Copper wire nut was used. My thinking is they should be purple colored. This outlet had paint overspray. Can anyone identify the wirenut from looking at the photo?

Thanks

Gene

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James Duffin · 10-07-2010, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by Gene South

This house has aluminum branch wiring to this kitchen GFCI. The outlet has been pig-tailed with copper. Looking at the photo, can you tell if the proper type type of Aluminum to Copper wire nut was used. My thinking is they should be purple colored. This outlet had paint overspray. Can anyone identify the wirenut from looking at the photo?

Thanks

Gene

About all I can see is that there is way too much stuff in that box. One way alum connections get loose is by forcing devices back into a box. That is why I never remove devices during an inspection. There is a chance you can make a bad situation worse. And with my luck that receptacle will be the one that burns the house down!

**Bob Elliott** · 10-07-2010, 01:50 PM

If I ever see Aluminum branch wire in the box I immediately recommend a full electrical inspection for safety.
The Judge will ask why if you opened one you did not open all.

**Jerry Peck** · 10-07-2010, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by James Duffin

One way alum connections get loose is by forcing devices back into a box. That is why I never remove devices during an inspection. There is a chance you can make a bad situation worse.

Correct. One of the problems with aluminum wiring was that the bending and re-bending of the conductors would fatigue the aluminum and *cause* the conductor to fail ... and you just unbent the conductors in pulling that receptacle out ... and now *you* will need to re-bend the conductors to put that receptacle back in ... *this is not good*.

As James said: "There is a chance you can make a bad situation worse."

**Gary Burnett** · 10-08-2010, 08:12 AM

The Texas SOP requires us to report the absense of appropriate connections.......based on a random sampling of accessible receptacles and switches. This means when we find aluminum to copper we should do a random check to see if any or all in that "audit" are a problem.

Gene, The Ideal #65 wire nut listed for aluminum to copper connections is Purple and it's also pretty dang big! Anybody that did pigtails before 1992 are likely to have other wire nuts (not listed today) with anti oxidant. I think the Ideal was listed in '92. The other listed connector I know of is the AlumiConn and it was listed later and is also Purple.

I agree that you should call out for a qualified eletrician to check all outlets and splices but you need to report on your specific findings.

**Darren Miller** · 10-09-2010, 05:54 AM

The 'purple' connectors aren't the greatest either.

Aluminum Wiring Field Failure Reports and Photographs - Aluminum Wiring Information Website - COPALUM CO/ALR AMP Ideal Twister Connectors, Fire & Repair

BOTTLEFEDSS · 10-12-2010, 08:26 AM

Great info!!!

**Rollie Meyers** · 10-12-2010, 11:19 PM

Those red ScotchLocks WERE rated as AL/CU, as was Ideal Wingnuts they no longer are but if it was done when it was approved for AL/CU, it could open sticky issues...

I have a couple of boxes of 3M & Ideal connectors, they are both marked as "AL/CU" w/ the markings of most of the UL listed wire combos now the wisdom of using them as listed is open to some debate, I say some because personally don't intend to use them for AL terminations....

(Don't intend to use them at all, keeping them as a oddity)