Very clear, concise and informative! Only watched out of curiosity on dealing with AL wire issues. Now I will know how to deal with if I ever need to. Thanks
. I'm looking to buy a house and the inspection report came back with the aluminum wire issue. This was so educational. Thank you SO MUCH for putting this video, it was easy understand.
Thank you so much for this video. Its clear as water the way you did it. And like you said also get a professional cause the paper work its important. Thank you again
Would this same method apply for light fixtures too? I wanted to replace a light fixture in the ceiling and I am wondering if it will have some aluminum wiring up in the ceiling or not. Also how long should the bits of copper wire you're pig tailing in be? Apologies if you mentioned any of these things in the video, it's quite loud where I am so I'm worried if I may have missed it or not lol. Thanks for such an informative video, will be very nice to keep in mind should I encounter any Aluminum Wiring.
It is best practice to do it everywhere including switches, lights, fans etc but not as necessary as the outlets. Most electricians would recommend doing it all. Thanks for watching our videos.
You really should cut the tips off the aluminum be wire and restrip your wire so there is no chance of it breaking off at a weak point. Furthermore, the wire should be twisted together at the tips. If there is vibration as this man has stated. It will come loose from the caps as well, if not installed properly.. I'd wrap electric tsp around the caps as well, just to make sure it never comes loose.
I'm not up on Canadian code or local provincial requirements, but The terminal screws on CO/ALR devices are made of special materials and designed to grip aluminum wire very tightly. 15 Amp/125-Volt grounding Residential grade, NEMA 5-15R, 2P and 3W (Example: Leviton Model# R51-12650-00I)
Je viens d’acheter une maison et il y a un gros mélange d’aluminium et de cuivre. Un gros merci je menvais maintenant acheter l’équipement qu’il me faut pour tout faire moi même 🎉 j’étais vraiment découragé haha
@@alexsomlyay-alx4705 C'est une vidéo en anglais et tu poses une question en francais lol Tu dois tout refaire les connexions en aluminium. Donc duplex et switch doivent avoir un pigtail avec un composé anti-oxydant.
I had to stop at 4 and a half minutes. Perhaps canada does things differently than in the US so I'll point out a couple of things. One, You didn't sand the aluminum conductor before putting the nolox compound on it. Aluminum will oxidize in minutes so you have to work quickly. Next aluminum will flow under pressure so you will have an issue if you don't use the proper compression device. If the aluminum gets exposed to air it will oxidize and even under pressure will heat up because aluminum oxide is an insulator and not a conductor as copper oxide is. Now there's only one way to connect up aluminum to copper and that's with a compression barrel connector and crimping tool. Somewhere around 6 to 12 tons of pressure is required. The connector is filled with nolox and the aluminum is cleaned and immediately inserted and the connector crimped. Then the other conductor is inserted and crimped. Special wire nuts for aluminum are a temporary fix only. You never use any type of mechanical lug or screw with aluminum. I've done this for forty years and never saw a proper connection fail but also never saw an aluminum mechanical connection that hadn't over time and load. Years ago I had a neighbor call me on a sunday morning to ask if I knew anything about refrigerators. I said no why and she said hers had quit and even melted the cord were it plugged into the wall. I asked if her house was wired with aluminum and she said yes. I said I know what to bring. I pulled the plug out of the wall and luckily there was a lot of wire folded up in the box. I cut off around six inches of wire with crystalized insulation and then installed a new receptacle with serrated screw heads made for aluminum. Replaced the cord cap on the fridge cord and turned it on. It ran. I told her the repair was temporary and suggested she have her entire home rewired before the wiring caused fires.
Hi there and thank you for adding value. I agree that sending the aluminum wire first is definitely a good idea but after following electricians on a few pig tailing projects, I've never seen them doing it. There are best practice for evething and definitely removing the oxidation from the aluminum wire would be an added bonus. The marrettes I'm using are designed for copper to aluminum connection and is what the insurance company like to see here. When we inspect house with aluminum wiring we always open an outlet or 2 to see if they are pig tailed or not and never saw an issue with any of them for using the proper marrettes. I know some inspectors in the US said that pig tailing was not approved in their state but it's perfectly fine here in B.C. I'm very grateful that electricians with over 40 years experience watch our videos, thank you so much for your comment.
Now days in the US aluminum is outlawed except from larger sizes and they must have high compression connections on them to be allowed. Aluminum is simply not a good material for wiring unless used under strict restrictions.
@@71160000 Hi, single strand aluminum has not been used here since 1972. This video is about how to keep the insurance happy if you bought an older home that was built between 1965 and 1972 and has single strand aluminum wiring. We create these videos for our home inspection clients.
I understand wanting to satisfy the insurance companies, but safety should be the number one priority - and if insurance companies are worried, we should be too. This is definitely a repair you want to research and follow the most up to date protocol. The US consumer product safety commission recommends using a crimp connector like COPALUM (unfortunately requires somebody with training) or alumiconn which uses compression screws (with a torque setting screw driver). I think if somebody is interested in diy, they should consider the latter option. The twister connectors seem prone to user error
Hi, aluminum wiring stopped roughly in 1976. The aluminum you see in panels are multi strands (3-4 aluminum wired twisted together. Those are ok, it's the single strand aluminum that is a problem. Thank you
Do you have to do this with copper clad aluminum? Mine house was built in 1971 and it appears to have copper clad aluminum. I cut the copper colored wire and it looks silver inside.
I just got done fixing what was done here. The wire nut that was raised for this with the compound turned to ash after arching. My flir showed the wire heating up to 180 degrees. After using the alumicon with the small buss bar inside temps are down to 80. This was on a water heater. I wouldn’t recommend the nuts.
well water heater usually more CONSTANT high amperage 20 amps, then recommend to change whole wire. This is low 15amp wall outlet that will rarely or never see 15amp
Thank you David for this instructive video. I have a situation where I have 3 aluminium wires (14 AWG Copper Equivalent) that I need to pigtail with 1 copper wire. The marrette 63 is too small to do it. How do you think I should do it? Thanks!
Hi, normally when you twist them slightly first, they should fit but if it doesn't, please check with an electrician. I've seen it holding 3 wires. Don't forget the paste when twisting them together.
@@InspectCanada The marrette 63 box specifies a maximum of 3 wires, in my case I had 4 wires. I did it using 2 marrettes per pole, i.e. 2 marrettes for the common et 2 marrettes for the life. At the end I had 4 marrettes to fit in my box, luckily my electrical box was deeper allowing me to fit all this hardware inside the box. I just hope, it was ok to do it this way^
I have a question: Even with the antioxidant paste, if copper and aluminium touch eachother, won't you have a quimical reaction? don't you need to use a bimetal connector? Thanks.
Hi, so far that's how I see electricians doing it and the insurance happy with it. There may be better ways but the antioxidant paste appears to work great.
Hi there! I am about to spend a considerable amount of $ to buy enough AlumiConn connectors to do all the outlets in my house which was built in the 70's in Aylmer (Gatineau). It gets pricey fast because you need 2 per receptacle and they cost 100-125$ for a 25 pack. You are tempting me to take this cheaper alternative but I've seen some professionals on TH-cam either say it was not up to code where they reside, that the anti-oxyde paste can leak over time or other things of that nature pointing out it is not an appropriate way to go and that only using AlumiConn connectors let them sleep at night and is a permanent way to fix the issue. What is your take on that? I'm no electrician and if you ask me, you seem to do a pretty good job I would be confident to replicate - it seems pretty safe to me but I'm no electrician or scientist :) Thank you so much by the way!
Hi there, I'm also no electrician but I've seen it done in many buildings by electricians. Buildings are often forced by insurance companies to do it and that's how they did it everytime. I think in general, the alumiconn are probably a better quality solution but pig tailing with the proper marrettes and antioxydant paste is being done by electricians and approved by the insurances in BC. Wouldn't hurt to contact an electrician in your area and ask what the insurance company require or maybe ask the insurance company. I can only talk for BC. Thanks for watching our videos.
Hi, the one I used are designed for aluminum to copper connection, the purple might be the same but I haven't checked them out. I went to a electrical supplier and that's all they had.
@@InspectCanada I really think they are, but it is simply that it hasn't been authorized yet by the province of Quebec yet. European countries are using them all over, so I am sure they are excellent!
Is this a legal/effective and insurrence safe to pig tail like you have shown in the province of Quebec. I have not seen anything to back this up for this province. Can you help a guy out ? Many thanks.
When you do the pig tail and replace new outlet, do you use the outlet made for Co/Al or just for Copper is fine? As only copper wires touch the outlet so I guess outlet for copper should be fine but I want to be sure. Thank you very much.
I have a question that i am wondering. If i pig tie the aluminum to copper wires. do i still have to use a co/alr outlet to wire it back on or can i use one with out the co/alr like the ones you used in the video? Also the for screws on the side, do i screw the bottom ones in while the top on each side has wire?
You can use an outlet that is rated for copper only, as copper is making the connection at the terminal. It's good practice to tighten the screws. It in use, just to keep them away from the sides of the box.
What kind/grade of copper wiring should I be buying to pigtail to my aluminium ends? I'm looking on Home Depot (Canada) and there are a bunch of different kinds. Any insight is welcome! Thank you
@@InspectCanada Thanks. Another question, I have two aluminum 14/2 if you will call it, along with one 14/2 copper. Can you join multiple aluminum wires to one copper?
Is there a different type of connector i can use when the wires from outlet are too short (aluminum) and i need to connect copper. Im referring to the push in wire connector...can you attach aluminum to copper with those?
@@InspectCanada yes there are special push in connectors, why they cost so much is beyond me. I would never pay that price. I'll just connect them the way I did last time with the oxidation cream . Thanks ...
Jeez I hate to see old brittle aluminum ugh I’ve seen so much with aluminum it’s really not that easy I would use alumiconn connectors so your not bending the aluminum other than rewiring a house the alumiconn connectors in my opinion are the safest remedy just for the fact your not bending old brittle aluminum
The biggest mistake that you forgot to do is to put the special grease inside the aluminum Marette, because if you don’t put in that grease in aluminum Marette, it can cause a fire because bear copper in bear. Aluminum doesn’t really react to each other that well bonded together so the special gel that you put in the Marette will make it safe and up to electrical code in Canada
@@InspectCanada Trust me, Wago is much much faster. Like... a lot faster. maybe it costs some, about 50-70 cents each, but it is faster and MORE reliable. Especially for amateurs - marretts are prone to be misused.
The pig tailing is for insurance purpose. They will think that in the future someone may replace that outlet with one that isn't rated for aluminum. They want pig tailing. This might not be the case in your area but here in BC, it is the way to go and done extensively. Thanks for watching our videos
Hi James, great question. Outlets are constantly under load but lights only when you turn them on. I would definitely recommend doing swtiches, outlets and light fixtures but here in BC, it looks like the insurance companies only requires the outlets to be done.
Hi James, great question. The ground was already copper. But even when it's aluminum, it normally doesn't get done. The reason is that the ground is only there to carry the current if their is a fault or malfunction in the system and is almost never in use therefor it will likely never going to get loose due to expansion/retraction.
@@jamesharnish650 There is probably a bunch of better solutions but that's what the insurance wants to see. Insurance just don't want to see the aluminum reaching the outlet.
Also since boxes especially in ontario are metal and bonded you can bend the aluminum wire into the back of the box or cut it as long as its connected to the box you can than connect the copper wire to another scre on the box
There's always more than one way to do things. This is the one that has been done here by electricians in order to pass for the insurance. It's easy and that is why I use this method. Thank you for watching our videos.
@@InspectCanada yes I agree but some insurance companies don't like the wirenut use (in the states)and will only insure the terminal block ones. I being somewhat of an apprentice helped do a whole house rewire with them term blocks (insurance company said only approved method buy them over a rewire & gave the policy holder a $500 credit after passed their and ahj inspections)$3a pce x 130 + lol (I think we got a bulk rate 200 for under $2 a pce)And I haven't kept up with wagos if they are al/cu rated yet
Copalum or Alumiconn in the USA according to the training that I recieved here. Consult the NEC and your local Authority Having Jurisdiction for what shall and shall not be permited in your area.
@@InspectCanada As far as I know, Aluminum may never touch directly Copper due galvanic corrosion. Even with marrettes, it is not allowed. Maybe some current will pass through marrett, but definitely not a lot.
Hi, if you don't want to do yourself, I would get a few more quotes. Maybe there were other electrical issues they were going to deal with at the same time? Where are you located?
Apprently canada does not follow the safty protocol estabilished by article 110 of the NEC or by NFPA 73 or national fire protection assoiciation. I noticed you are a "home inspector" not a licensed Electrician of any standard. What you are showing does not under any insurance standard meet requirements set forth in the US quite frankly your better off leaving the alumin7m wiring as is where is then mixing it with copper wiring. Horrible practice. Read an NEC code book!
Thanks for your comment. This is been done everyday in BC Canada. Whatever happens anywhere else on the planet is irrelevant. These videos are not designed to teach electrician in the US on what to do but to show homeowners that aluminum wiring is not the end of the world and that pig tailing is an approved solution that is accepted by most insurance. I fully get it that replacing the wiring would be much better but pig tailing would cost about $1500 where replacing the wiring and cut the drywall that probably has asbestos in it would be a lot more expensive. In the US you can buy houses for 300k, here the tear downs are worth over 1.5 million. People need affordable solutions and here is one. Electrician follow the CEC, not the NEC.
@Inspect Canada I'm finding it hard to believe that the Canadian electrical code says that it is acceptable to connect different materials inside of a wire nut. You have people watching this from around the globe, primarily in the US the comments are thanking you for a "solution" What you are showing as a solution is seriously dangerous and even if it's not it still voids insurance coverage from many of the largest insurance company's in the US. You provide no disclosure, etc. You just proclaim it as a saving grace to save you money. Knowing people turn to youtube for answers, makes this an extremely misleading situation. What do I know? I'm just a 22year licensed electrician with 3 state journeymen electrician licenses, a 2 state master electrician licenses, 2 state licensed contractor, consultant to 2 of the city's largest fire departments, (after folks like yourself change and alter electric systems and cause fires) licensed for manufactured housing, and spent years in trade school. Did I mention I can read the nec? Perhaps try reviewing it before sharing your info as being that of a way to save money. It is beyond reckless. I assure you I need to watch youtube videos to learn how to improperly make wire connections like I need a hole in the head. A friend sent this to me with a lol attached. You completely miss the boat on this even in your responce you say "pig tailing is an approved solution that is accepted by most insurance companies" YES THIS IS TRUE IF YOU DO IT CORRECTLY!!!!!!!!! YOUR WRECKLESS AND IDIOTIC WAY IS NOT ACCEPTED BY ANY INSURANCE COMPANY ANYWHERE IN THE US, AND MATTER OF FACT IT IS STRICKLY FORBIDDEN IN ARTICLE 110 OF NEC, AND THE NFPA 73, WHICH IS TITLED INSPECTIONS FOR EXISTING DWELLINGS. Therefore you encourage unlicensed homeowners to DIY themselves into being denied home insurance coverage. You see nothing wrong with this, its a crap attempt to gain views and subs. Hope you get sued by someone that burns their house down. I can only assume you have never looked up the UL listing for the parts that you are using, there is no way that it says you can connect copper and aluminum in a wire nut type connection. I wish you the best with your beyond misleading youtube career.
@michaeldupre7864 yes it does allow them...***however...most all aluminum/copper rated devices specify that you must Tighten the connections every 1-3 years (depending on manufacture) no one is going to keep up with that much less pay a certified electrician to do it, therefore the warranty is voided. This is how the manufacure gets away without liability. Think of it like you just bought a new car drive 80k with no oil change, the manufacture is not on the hook for it, you neglected the maintence. Same thing with copper/aluminum devices. Atleast this is true for all of them that I have seen although I'm certain I have not seen them all. I can show you hundreds of pictures of copper rated devices with copper wires or copper wires connecting to copper wires and they have burned. The most important thing in electricity is the connections. I personally use alumicons, I have seen a couple fail but we are talking 2-3 in tens of thousands and the ones I seen fail we not made by my company. It was because the screw terminal was not tightened properly. I understand the predicament, however if it were me that is how I would do it.
@michaeldupre7864 the failures were from other contractors not properly tightening them, im just an electrician contractor with a stack of licenses, I have no dog in the fight either way. My advise is to wrap the screw terminals in the direction the screw tightens so that the screw is pulling the wire around it not losening it. If you have 2 neutral 2 hot and 1 ground on the outlet you only need 3 alumicons not 5, your effectively converting from series wiring to parallel wiring, which is superior in every way except time and material from the new construction standpoint. Also, very important on your 3 way switches the wire going to the odd color screw on the existing switch needs to go to the odd color on the new switch, do not take the old one off and put it back blindly the same way. Just look at the screws (not including ground) 2 will be the same one will be different, mark that one and ensure that wire goes onto the one different screw on the new switch, the other two are irrelevant and cannot possible be confused and do not matter which goes where.
When I pulled out the old receptacles, they said "copper only". It seems that they're original to the house circa '73. Good work, '73 electrician.
Very clear, concise and informative! Only watched out of curiosity on dealing with AL wire issues. Now I will know how to deal with if I ever need to. Thanks
. I'm looking to buy a house and the inspection report came back with the aluminum wire issue. This was so educational. Thank you SO MUCH for putting this video, it was easy understand.
That's good that your inspector looked at that. Mine "couldn't" disassemble anything or move anything in order to check.
Canada.. we love you so much !!
You've always been so good to us !! ( thank you.. thank you !! )
That's good you're using the ACS connectors. A mistake some people make are using NOALOX with connectors that aren't rated for aluminum.
Thank you so much for this video. Its clear as water the way you did it. And like you said also get a professional cause the paper work its important. Thank you again
You are super welcome and thank you for watching out videos.
It is recommended to sand exposed aluminum conductors before splicing...
I love TH-cam. Thank you! For this info.
Thank you, please let us know if we can help.
The best video. Thank you
Thanks for the video, easy fix!
Thank you, very clear instructions
Would this same method apply for light fixtures too? I wanted to replace a light fixture in the ceiling and I am wondering if it will have some aluminum wiring up in the ceiling or not. Also how long should the bits of copper wire you're pig tailing in be?
Apologies if you mentioned any of these things in the video, it's quite loud where I am so I'm worried if I may have missed it or not lol. Thanks for such an informative video, will be very nice to keep in mind should I encounter any Aluminum Wiring.
It is best practice to do it everywhere including switches, lights, fans etc but not as necessary as the outlets. Most electricians would recommend doing it all. Thanks for watching our videos.
You really should cut the tips off the aluminum be wire and restrip your wire so there is no chance of it breaking off at a weak point. Furthermore, the wire should be twisted together at the tips. If there is vibration as this man has stated. It will come loose from the caps as well, if not installed properly.. I'd wrap electric tsp around the caps as well, just to make sure it never comes loose.
Good info thx
Why was the ground already copper?
I'm not up on Canadian code or local provincial requirements, but
The terminal screws on CO/ALR devices are made of special materials and designed to grip aluminum wire very tightly. 15 Amp/125-Volt grounding Residential grade, NEMA 5-15R, 2P and 3W (Example: Leviton Model# R51-12650-00I)
I've got nothing to do with it, it's an insurance issue. They don't want aluminum reaching any outlets even if they are designed for aluminum wiring.
Je viens d’acheter une maison et il y a un gros mélange d’aluminium et de cuivre. Un gros merci je menvais maintenant acheter l’équipement qu’il me faut pour tout faire moi même 🎉 j’étais vraiment découragé haha
Question rapide, est-ce que je devrais aussi faire les switchs ou seulement les prises murales ??
@@alexsomlyay-alx4705 C'est une vidéo en anglais et tu poses une question en francais lol
Tu dois tout refaire les connexions en aluminium. Donc duplex et switch doivent avoir un pigtail avec un composé anti-oxydant.
Thanks, GSP! 💪🤘
Thank you
@@InspectCanada Would you recommend AlumiConn connectors, too?
I was under the impression that if you use the Marrette 63's you didn't need to use anti-oxidant. Am I wrong??
Hi, it's because when the aluminum and copper touches each other as they will be twisted together, they need the paste to prevent oxidation.
I had to stop at 4 and a half minutes. Perhaps canada does things differently than in the US so I'll point out a couple of things. One, You didn't sand the aluminum conductor before putting the nolox compound on it. Aluminum will oxidize in minutes so you have to work quickly. Next aluminum will flow under pressure so you will have an issue if you don't use the proper compression device. If the aluminum gets exposed to air it will oxidize and even under pressure will heat up because aluminum oxide is an insulator and not a conductor as copper oxide is. Now there's only one way to connect up aluminum to copper and that's with a compression barrel connector and crimping tool. Somewhere around 6 to 12 tons of pressure is required. The connector is filled with nolox and the aluminum is cleaned and immediately inserted and the connector crimped. Then the other conductor is inserted and crimped. Special wire nuts for aluminum are a temporary fix only. You never use any type of mechanical lug or screw with aluminum. I've done this for forty years and never saw a proper connection fail but also never saw an aluminum mechanical connection that hadn't over time and load. Years ago I had a neighbor call me on a sunday morning to ask if I knew anything about refrigerators. I said no why and she said hers had quit and even melted the cord were it plugged into the wall. I asked if her house was wired with aluminum and she said yes. I said I know what to bring. I pulled the plug out of the wall and luckily there was a lot of wire folded up in the box. I cut off around six inches of wire with crystalized insulation and then installed a new receptacle with serrated screw heads made for aluminum. Replaced the cord cap on the fridge cord and turned it on. It ran. I told her the repair was temporary and suggested she have her entire home rewired before the wiring caused fires.
Hi there and thank you for adding value. I agree that sending the aluminum wire first is definitely a good idea but after following electricians on a few pig tailing projects, I've never seen them doing it. There are best practice for evething and definitely removing the oxidation from the aluminum wire would be an added bonus. The marrettes I'm using are designed for copper to aluminum connection and is what the insurance company like to see here. When we inspect house with aluminum wiring we always open an outlet or 2 to see if they are pig tailed or not and never saw an issue with any of them for using the proper marrettes. I know some inspectors in the US said that pig tailing was not approved in their state but it's perfectly fine here in B.C. I'm very grateful that electricians with over 40 years experience watch our videos, thank you so much for your comment.
Now days in the US aluminum is outlawed except from larger sizes and they must have high compression connections on them to be allowed. Aluminum is simply not a good material for wiring unless used under strict restrictions.
@@71160000 Hi, single strand aluminum has not been used here since 1972. This video is about how to keep the insurance happy if you bought an older home that was built between 1965 and 1972 and has single strand aluminum wiring. We create these videos for our home inspection clients.
@@InspectCanada Sad, that it's still legal to have a home wired with aluminum. But same solution still goes. High pressure terminals only.
I understand wanting to satisfy the insurance companies, but safety should be the number one priority - and if insurance companies are worried, we should be too. This is definitely a repair you want to research and follow the most up to date protocol. The US consumer product safety commission recommends using a crimp connector like COPALUM (unfortunately requires somebody with training) or alumiconn which uses compression screws (with a torque setting screw driver). I think if somebody is interested in diy, they should consider the latter option. The twister connectors seem prone to user error
Great video thank you !
This is why we have arc fault protection today
This has nothing to do with AFCI. This is aluminum wiring and it's an insurance issue to the fact that it's old and it overheats.
Does this insurance requirements apply to newer houses using the new kind of AL alloys wiring ?
Hi, aluminum wiring stopped roughly in 1976. The aluminum you see in panels are multi strands (3-4 aluminum wired twisted together. Those are ok, it's the single strand aluminum that is a problem. Thank you
Do you have to do this with copper clad aluminum?
Mine house was built in 1971 and it appears to have copper clad aluminum.
I cut the copper colored wire and it looks silver inside.
Thank you for the video super clear, My question is do we have to do it also for the Bulbs ? on the ceiling ? just to be sure
I just got done fixing what was done here. The wire nut that was raised for this with the compound turned to ash after arching. My flir showed the wire heating up to 180 degrees. After using the alumicon with the small buss bar inside temps are down to 80. This was on a water heater. I wouldn’t recommend the nuts.
Alumicons are great but wire nuts have been used for a very long time with no issues. Thanks for your comment
well water heater usually more CONSTANT high amperage 20 amps, then recommend to change whole wire. This is low 15amp wall outlet that will rarely or never see 15amp
Thank you David for this instructive video. I have a situation where I have 3 aluminium wires (14 AWG Copper Equivalent) that I need to pigtail with 1 copper wire. The marrette 63 is too small to do it. How do you think I should do it? Thanks!
Hi, normally when you twist them slightly first, they should fit but if it doesn't, please check with an electrician. I've seen it holding 3 wires. Don't forget the paste when twisting them together.
@@InspectCanada The marrette 63 box specifies a maximum of 3 wires, in my case I had 4 wires. I did it using 2 marrettes per pole, i.e. 2 marrettes for the common et 2 marrettes for the life. At the end I had 4 marrettes to fit in my box, luckily my electrical box was deeper allowing me to fit all this hardware inside the box. I just hope, it was ok to do it this way^
I have a question: Even with the antioxidant paste, if copper and aluminium touch eachother, won't you have a quimical reaction? don't you need to use a bimetal connector? Thanks.
Hi, so far that's how I see electricians doing it and the insurance happy with it. There may be better ways but the antioxidant paste appears to work great.
Thank you!
What type of metal is used inside the connector?? I've been using standard wing-nuts with Noalox.
Hi. Thanks for the video. Would you do the same to install an electronic thermostat ?
What about if the ground is also aluminum? Should that be pigtailed as well?
No need. Good question.
Hi there! I am about to spend a considerable amount of $ to buy enough AlumiConn connectors to do all the outlets in my house which was built in the 70's in Aylmer (Gatineau). It gets pricey fast because you need 2 per receptacle and they cost 100-125$ for a 25 pack. You are tempting me to take this cheaper alternative but I've seen some professionals on TH-cam either say it was not up to code where they reside, that the anti-oxyde paste can leak over time or other things of that nature pointing out it is not an appropriate way to go and that only using AlumiConn connectors let them sleep at night and is a permanent way to fix the issue. What is your take on that? I'm no electrician and if you ask me, you seem to do a pretty good job I would be confident to replicate - it seems pretty safe to me but I'm no electrician or scientist :) Thank you so much by the way!
Hi there, I'm also no electrician but I've seen it done in many buildings by electricians. Buildings are often forced by insurance companies to do it and that's how they did it everytime. I think in general, the alumiconn are probably a better quality solution but pig tailing with the proper marrettes and antioxydant paste is being done by electricians and approved by the insurances in BC. Wouldn't hurt to contact an electrician in your area and ask what the insurance company require or maybe ask the insurance company. I can only talk for BC. Thanks for watching our videos.
@@InspectCanada Good idea! Thanks so much for the quick reply. I subscribed! Cheers :)
Whats the differece between these marrets and the purple ones
Hi, the one I used are designed for aluminum to copper connection, the purple might be the same but I haven't checked them out. I went to a electrical supplier and that's all they had.
It seems that Wagos are not accepted in the province of Quebec. Is that true?
Hi, I'm sorry, I don't know but I thought they were better than marrettes. Might be worth checking with an electrician. Best of luck.
@@InspectCanada I really think they are, but it is simply that it hasn't been authorized yet by the province of Quebec yet. European countries are using them all over, so I am sure they are excellent!
Is this a legal/effective and insurrence safe to pig tail like you have shown in the province of Quebec. I have not seen anything to back this up for this province. Can you help a guy out ? Many thanks.
I'm not sure. I would think yes since the electrical code is Canada wide but best to check with the insurance first.
When you do the pig tail and replace new outlet, do you use the outlet made for Co/Al or just for Copper is fine? As only copper wires touch the outlet so I guess outlet for copper should be fine but I want to be sure. Thank you very much.
You can use one or the other, the are both good for copper wiring.
@@InspectCanada Thank you very much for fast response.
How do you pigtail range and dryer?
@@jaspal9163 You don't, those are multi strand wires and are still use today with no issue. The only one is the single strand wire.
@@InspectCanada thank you
How long do the copper wires have to be?
Hi, I normally do about 4". It needs to be long enough to splice it with the copper and hook on the outlet.
I have a question that i am wondering. If i pig tie the aluminum to copper wires. do i still have to use a co/alr outlet to wire it back on or can i use one with out the co/alr like the ones you used in the video? Also the for screws on the side, do i screw the bottom ones in while the top on each side has wire?
You can use an outlet that is rated for copper only, as copper is making the connection at the terminal. It's good practice to tighten the screws. It in use, just to keep them away from the sides of the box.
What about the size of the copper wire that you pigtail on ? Does it vary? Is there a standard cost ?
aluminum wire should always be one size larger than what is called for copper. aluminum just is not as good as conductor as copper.
What kind/grade of copper wiring should I be buying to pigtail to my aluminium ends? I'm looking on Home Depot (Canada) and there are a bunch of different kinds. Any insight is welcome! Thank you
Hi, for a 15 amp breaker, you need a single strand 14 gauge copper wire. You can buy it by the meter a homedepot.ca
He said to use a 14 guage wire to make the pigtails.
@@MrSanmanbob Thanks Robert. Appreciate it. Ended up going with 14!
QUESTION: Can WAGO be used the same?
Yes sir
Is this code for US too
Hi, it's not about code, it's about the insurance. It's best to check with your insurance company if they will accept this.
I'm in the middle of making these repairs. Question, should I twist the aluminum and copper together before putting on the Marrette?
Hi, you can but if you put them side by side and spin the marrette clock wise, it will twist them together. Thanks for watching our videos.
@@InspectCanada Thanks. Another question, I have two aluminum 14/2 if you will call it, along with one 14/2 copper. Can you join multiple aluminum wires to one copper?
@@n3m3f3 Hi, yes. When twisting them, place the copper in the middle. You have to be sure to use the proper marrette and use the antioxidant paste.
Is there a different type of connector i can use when the wires from outlet are too short (aluminum) and i need to connect copper. Im referring to the push in wire connector...can you attach aluminum to copper with those?
Hi, I haven't done it but I think there are specific aluminum connectors. Might be best to get an electrician involved.
@@InspectCanada yes there are special push in connectors, why they cost so much is beyond me. I would never pay that price. I'll just connect them the way I did last time with the oxidation cream . Thanks ...
Can I use Wago connector
How come you're not using wireconns
Because it work just as good and the insurance company are ok with it. You could use them for sure.
Usually insurance companies don't look inside walls or even open boxes
Are you just using thhn copper wire
Hi, just used regular copper wire at Home Depot of the right gauge, nothing special.
Est-ce que je devrais juste faire mes prises ou mes switch et mes lumières aussi ??
,,,c'est préférable de le faire mais non obligatoire pour certaine compagnie d'assurance
Jeez I hate to see old brittle aluminum ugh I’ve seen so much with aluminum it’s really not that easy I would use alumiconn connectors so your not bending the aluminum other than rewiring a house the alumiconn connectors in my opinion are the safest remedy just for the fact your not bending old brittle aluminum
Agree that the alumiconn are better but the insurance companies are ok with the proper marrette and easy to install. Thanks for watching the video.
The biggest mistake that you forgot to do is to put the special grease inside the aluminum Marette, because if you don’t put in that grease in aluminum Marette, it can cause a fire because bear copper in bear. Aluminum doesn’t really react to each other that well bonded together so the special gel that you put in the Marette will make it safe and up to electrical code in Canada
Hi, I 100% put it on the wires.
Whew that is an old one
Mostly between 1967 and 1974
Get spring contact outlets.
You do whatever you want, we do whatever we want. We get whatever we feel it will be easiest for diy homeowners.
@@InspectCanada Trust me, Wago is much much faster. Like... a lot faster. maybe it costs some, about 50-70 cents each, but it is faster and MORE reliable. Especially for amateurs - marretts are prone to be misused.
@@tarassu I'll try one day, thanks
👍👍👍👍👍
This is an old solution check Alcon connector a bit safer.
See comment below the last problem i saw was this type of connection.
Don't do this!! get a co/alr outlet (made for both copper and aluminum wire) a pigtail just adds an unneeded connection. About $5 at Home Depot
The pig tailing is for insurance purpose. They will think that in the future someone may replace that outlet with one that isn't rated for aluminum. They want pig tailing. This might not be the case in your area but here in BC, it is the way to go and done extensively. Thanks for watching our videos
also what about light fixtures ?
Hi James, great question. Outlets are constantly under load but lights only when you turn them on. I would definitely recommend doing swtiches, outlets and light fixtures but here in BC, it looks like the insurance companies only requires the outlets to be done.
@@InspectCanada thanks i am just thinking more for safety but burning led bulbs probably don't draw much heat either
@@jamesharnish650 If I was going to pig tail my place, I would do switches, outlets, fixtures and smoke alarm.
so why no pigyail to ground ?
Hi James, great question. The ground was already copper. But even when it's aluminum, it normally doesn't get done. The reason is that the ground is only there to carry the current if their is a fault or malfunction in the system and is almost never in use therefor it will likely never going to get loose due to expansion/retraction.
@@InspectCanada ok thanks. Do you think this is better way to go than co/alr outlets and switches ?
@@jamesharnish650 There is probably a bunch of better solutions but that's what the insurance wants to see. Insurance just don't want to see the aluminum reaching the outlet.
Also since boxes especially in ontario are metal and bonded you can bend the aluminum wire into the back of the box or cut it as long as its connected to the box you can than connect the copper wire to another scre on the box
Better to use a better product like the purple screw terminal blocks or maybe wagos if they are approved
There's always more than one way to do things. This is the one that has been done here by electricians in order to pass for the insurance. It's easy and that is why I use this method. Thank you for watching our videos.
@@InspectCanada yes I agree but some insurance companies don't like the wirenut use (in the states)and will only insure the terminal block ones. I being somewhat of an apprentice helped do a whole house rewire with them term blocks (insurance company said only approved method buy them over a rewire & gave the policy holder a $500 credit after passed their and ahj inspections)$3a pce x 130 + lol (I think we got a bulk rate 200 for under $2 a pce)And I haven't kept up with wagos if they are al/cu rated yet
Copalum or Alumiconn in the USA according to the training that I recieved here. Consult the NEC and your local Authority Having Jurisdiction for what shall and shall not be permited in your area.
Use Wagos.
You use wagos, we use marrettes. This is a simple guide for homeowners based on what is done here locally. If you like to use wagos, go for it.
@@InspectCanada As far as I know, Aluminum may never touch directly Copper due galvanic corrosion. Even with marrettes, it is not allowed. Maybe some current will pass through marrett, but definitely not a lot.
@@tarassu that's why you have to include the anti-oxident paste on it.
The company I asked said it will be $3000.00 for a townhouse.
Hi, if you don't want to do yourself, I would get a few more quotes. Maybe there were other electrical issues they were going to deal with at the same time? Where are you located?
@@InspectCanada in Surrey BC Canada
Hi, I would call a few more companies. If you email us from our website, we can send you a few names.
@@InspectCanada Thanks
Apprently canada does not follow the safty protocol estabilished by article 110 of the NEC or by NFPA 73 or national fire protection assoiciation. I noticed you are a "home inspector" not a licensed Electrician of any standard.
What you are showing does not under any insurance standard meet requirements set forth in the US quite frankly your better off leaving the alumin7m wiring as is where is then mixing it with copper wiring. Horrible practice. Read an NEC code book!
Thanks for your comment. This is been done everyday in BC Canada. Whatever happens anywhere else on the planet is irrelevant. These videos are not designed to teach electrician in the US on what to do but to show homeowners that aluminum wiring is not the end of the world and that pig tailing is an approved solution that is accepted by most insurance. I fully get it that replacing the wiring would be much better but pig tailing would cost about $1500 where replacing the wiring and cut the drywall that probably has asbestos in it would be a lot more expensive. In the US you can buy houses for 300k, here the tear downs are worth over 1.5 million. People need affordable solutions and here is one. Electrician follow the CEC, not the NEC.
@Inspect Canada I'm finding it hard to believe that the Canadian electrical code says that it is acceptable to connect different materials inside of a wire nut. You have people watching this from around the globe, primarily in the US the comments are thanking you for a "solution" What you are showing as a solution is seriously dangerous and even if it's not it still voids insurance coverage from many of the largest insurance company's in the US.
You provide no disclosure, etc. You just proclaim it as a saving grace to save you money. Knowing people turn to youtube for answers, makes this an extremely misleading situation. What do I know? I'm just a 22year licensed electrician with 3 state journeymen electrician licenses, a 2 state master electrician licenses, 2 state licensed contractor, consultant to 2 of the city's largest fire departments, (after folks like yourself change and alter electric systems and cause fires) licensed for manufactured housing, and spent years in trade school. Did I mention I can read the nec? Perhaps try reviewing it before sharing your info as being that of a way to save money. It is beyond reckless. I assure you I need to watch youtube videos to learn how to improperly make wire connections like I need a hole in the head. A friend sent this to me with a lol attached. You completely miss the boat on this even in your responce you say "pig tailing is an approved solution that is accepted by most insurance companies" YES THIS IS TRUE IF YOU DO IT CORRECTLY!!!!!!!!!
YOUR WRECKLESS AND IDIOTIC WAY IS NOT ACCEPTED BY ANY INSURANCE COMPANY ANYWHERE IN THE US, AND MATTER OF FACT IT IS STRICKLY FORBIDDEN IN ARTICLE 110 OF NEC, AND THE NFPA 73, WHICH IS TITLED INSPECTIONS FOR EXISTING DWELLINGS. Therefore you encourage unlicensed homeowners to DIY themselves into being denied home insurance coverage. You see nothing wrong with this, its a crap attempt to gain views and subs. Hope you get sued by someone that burns their house down. I can only assume you have never looked up the UL listing for the parts that you are using, there is no way that it says you can connect copper and aluminum in a wire nut type connection. I wish you the best with your beyond misleading youtube career.
@michaeldupre7864 yes it does allow them...***however...most all aluminum/copper rated devices specify that you must Tighten the connections every 1-3 years (depending on manufacture) no one is going to keep up with that much less pay a certified electrician to do it, therefore the warranty is voided. This is how the manufacure gets away without liability. Think of it like you just bought a new car drive 80k with no oil change, the manufacture is not on the hook for it, you neglected the maintence. Same thing with copper/aluminum devices. Atleast this is true for all of them that I have seen although I'm certain I have not seen them all. I can show you hundreds of pictures of copper rated devices with copper wires or copper wires connecting to copper wires and they have burned. The most important thing in electricity is the connections. I personally use alumicons, I have seen a couple fail but we are talking 2-3 in tens of thousands and the ones I seen fail we not made by my company. It was because the screw terminal was not tightened properly. I understand the predicament, however if it were me that is how I would do it.
@michaeldupre7864 the failures were from other contractors not properly tightening them, im just an electrician contractor with a stack of licenses, I have no dog in the fight either way. My advise is to wrap the screw terminals in the direction the screw tightens so that the screw is pulling the wire around it not losening it. If you have 2 neutral 2 hot and 1 ground on the outlet you only need 3 alumicons not 5, your effectively converting from series wiring to parallel wiring, which is superior in every way except time and material from the new construction standpoint. Also, very important on your 3 way switches the wire going to the odd color screw on the existing switch needs to go to the odd color on the new switch, do not take the old one off and put it back blindly the same way. Just look at the screws (not including ground) 2 will be the same one will be different, mark that one and ensure that wire goes onto the one different screw on the new switch, the other two are irrelevant and cannot possible be confused and do not matter which goes where.
@michaeldupre7864 yes, however this situation should not occur often, same with neutrals, maybe once or twice in a home.
What a hack
Use alumicons
You use alumicons
Haha this guy is not an electrician
1000% not an electrician lmao
My house was built in 1979 and they still found aluminum wiring