[Shop-talk] Aluminum and copper wiring

[Donald H Locker]

I found this link useful, but had already deleted Jim's original post - 
I hope replying to a reply is satisfactory.

Upshot - connecting old Al to Cu is dicey at best.

<https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/74916/can-i-connect-copper-wire-to-aluminum-wire>

Donald.
--
*Plain Text* email -- it's an accessibility issue
() no proprietary attachments; no html mail
/\ <http://www.georgedillon.com/web/html_email_is_evil.shtml>

On 2018-04-24 10:14 AM, Al Fuller wrote:
> Jim - I don’t know what will solve the CU to AL issue, but something you said did strike me:  If it were my sister, I would not under any circumstances leave outdoor wiring without a ground!  In fact, I would likely be looking at whether the circuit has a GFI...
> 
> Just sayin!
> 
> Al Fuller
> al at bighealey dot org
> '65 BJ-8
> '85 Rx-7
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Shop-talk [mailto:shop-talk-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Jim Stone
> Sent: Monday, April 23, 2018 1:34 PM
> To: Shop Talk <shop-talk at Autox.Team.Net>
> Subject: [Shop-talk] Aluminum and copper wiring
> 
> Hi guys.  I am currently visiting my sister-in-law and offered to install a light switch for her; she has dusk-to-dawn outdoor lights that were installed by a handyman and wired without a switch.  She’d like to be able to turn them off, which is normally a pretty simple job.  However, her house was built in the early 70’s and has mostly aluminum wiring.  I just opened up the box where the handyman spliced in the circuit for the lights and he used a standard outlet made for copper wiring, not a CO/ALR rated one.  Aluminum going in; copper coming out.  No sign of arcing, fortunately, but I will do it right.  The current outlet has a copper ground wire and an aluminum one connected together to the ground screw.
> 
> I know using a CO/ALR outlet allows me to connect the (copper) light circuit to the original (aluminum) circuit, but I am not sure about how to do the ground wires.  I assume it is less critical with a ground wire than a hot one, but still…. I suppose I could simply not ground the lights or the new switch, but I am wondering if there is a better solution.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Jim
> _______________________________________________
> 
> Shop-talk at autox.team.net
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation  $12.96
> Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
> Forums: http://www.team.net/forums
> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/al@bighealey.org
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> Shop-talk at autox.team.net
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation  $12.96
> Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
> Forums: http://www.team.net/forums
> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/dhlocker@comcast.net
>