Update on using aluminum wire in old houses

My boss, Frank, told me to always pigtail aluminum with COPALUM connectors, not just twist on a wire nut. I thought he was being too careful until I saw a melted outlet in a 1972 split-level last month. The homeowner said they just used regular connectors. Anyone have a go-to brand for those crimp connectors besides the usual ones?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_drew7h ago

Yeah, Frank's right on the money. Those purple wire nuts are okay for a quick fix, but a proper crimp is the only way to sleep at night. I've had good luck with the Burndy brand ones.

perry.nancy6h ago

My only experience with aluminum wire was trying to fix my cousin's lamp, and let's just say the fire department gave it a solid review.