Solutions in Dealing and Solving Aluminum Wiring

The obvious answer to any aluminum-wiring problems or potential problems is to replace it all with copper. How practical is this, however, if you have limited unfinished areas such as crawl spaces to run new wire or if you live in a condominium? You also would have to patch and repaint everywhere. Fortunately, there are other solutions. Aluminum wiring is most dangerous at the connections and termination points. The accepted remedy is to use a short piece of copper wire (usually referred to as a “pigtail”) to connect the aluminum wire to the switch, receptacle, or appliance after treating the exposed ends of the aluminum wire with antioxidizing paste (see the following figure). The best method, which is CPSC-approved as the only permanent repair, is done with the use of a special power crimping tool manufactured by AMP Incorporated (P.O. Box 3608, Harrisburg, PA 17105; 1-800-522-7652). This tool installs a metal sleeve called a COP/ALUM parallel splice connector.
This handy tool, which you’ll never find in a hardware store, permanently attaches a piece of copper wire to the existing aluminum wire along with the sleeve. The connection is then covered with heatshrunk insulation. This work should be done by professional electricians, not homeowners, so forget about trying it yourself with a cheaper crimping tool or another means of connecting the wires together. This is a specialized procedure that requires training provided by the manufacturer.
Note that some electrical boxes—the enclosures around switches, receptacles, and other devices— might not be big enough to house the additional pigtailed connectors and wire. It might be necessary to replace the box with a larger size, which will involve cutting into the wall and doing some patchwork to the plaster or plasterboard.
A partial repair can be made by replacing all standard outlets and switches with ULapproved devices marked “CU/AL,” which indicates that they can be used with either copper or aluminum wiring. The CPSC does not recommend these devices as a complete repair. Under no circumstances should any device connected to aluminum wire be back-wired. (If there are problems, you won’t see them.) The consumer booklet “Repairing Aluminum Wiring” (Publication 516) is available by writing the CPSC at U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207.