Crimped connectors in household wiring in USA

Crimped copper pigtails are very common when retrofitting a home that was wired with aluminum wiring.

I'd say "rare" in the overall scheme of things...there are some specific places as another noted that there's a reason like switching conductor material where the splice is an approved connector for both but not supposed to mate the two materials directly to each other...

Other than that, the occasional butt splice for a repair is about all I've ever seen...and it, of course, by Code must be accessible (not that I've not repaired an underground feeder on occasion to not have to pull the whole run...I'm not sure on Code about that one; seems terribly onerous if there's just been one gopher to pull hundreds of feet of #4 or larger CU)

HELLISHLY expensive though. You cannot buy the tool, and you need to be authorized to rent it - and to be authorized you need to pay for and complete a training course.

Typical cost is half the price of rewiring the home with copper - which is JUST PLAIN INSANE!!!

The ideal purple nuts have been implicated is numerous fires and are no longer legal to use for transition from aluminum to copper in Canada. Here we can only use the brown bakelite Marrette ACS wirenuts from Thomas and Betts. They can be used for copper/copper, al/al, and copper/al connections. A bit more expensive than standard Marrettes, or particularly the cheap plastic Chinese "wire nuts" that are available everywhere for "peanuts" The ACS will not welt if they get hot, and they will not burn.

I just did my house about 2 years ago, using aluminum rated devices where available, and pigtailing to copper with ACS wirenuts where required (no AL rated GFCI devices, or dimmer switches,and most "direct wire" fictures and appliances. My new Square D QO distribution panel is rated for AL or copper, so no problem there.

I managed to get the required permits and inpections although under current regulations you MUST be a licenced electrician to do ANYTHING on aluminum wire in Ontario. Yje inspections were required for insurance purposes - and the permits were required to get the inspections - - - .

My dad was an electrician, and I had worked with him many times and knew how to do things right - which likely helped. (Dad had died several years earlier, so I could not have him do the work or apply for the permits)

There was a fad for a while to use crimp rings but that went away pretty fast. If you find an old pair of Kliens, you will see the crimp barrel right near the hinge.

Tekkie® posted for all of us...

I am referring to the insulated ring or spade connectors. Here is a link to the insulated terminals shown toward the lower half of the page.

Oren posted for all of us...

It was shown in a magazine where an electrocution occurred.

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com posted for all of us...

Oh yeah, they (Kliens) are still there. I was curious as to a magazine article relating to an electrocution. I have not seen any in my time; here in the emergency services.

On 17-Oct-17 1:54 PM, Tekkie® wrote: ...

Specifics and how was the connector implicated?

I've NEVER seen spade lug or ring terminal on household wiring per se; appliances and such, sure, but in the actual house wiring, no.

That said, given the penchant for homeowners of zero skills and knowledge to do untold things, that doesn't imply there are no instances out there...

Not approved or useable on solid wire.

dpb posted for all of us...

I never stated the connector was implicated. I was just curious as to how common the usage of crimped connectors was. Just as the subject stated.

...

Well, no, but you didn't say it wasn't, either... :)

So what purpose did the mention of the event play; none?

Tekkie? wrote in news:jL8FB.2520$ snipped-for-privacy@fx23.iad:

My old mobile home has them.

Ive currently got an open connection somewhere. I could well be wrong but I suspect it's one of those connectors (plastic cap over pair of connected aluminum wires). If I had known before I bought it...

dpb posted for all of us...

I saw a picture of a crimped connection to an outlet, which I had never see n before; which raised my curiosity, the fault was elsewhere.

Hi KenK ; I suspect that your old mobile home wiring uses twist-on connectors - commonly called Marrettes - link below.

Crimp connectors look more like these :

Regardless - if you are having troubles with your aluminum wiring you would be wise to have it corrected by a professional - - before you have a fire.

John T.

The ones we used about 1970 in the mobile homes looked like this.

To insulate them we sues something like this.

The first one looks like a metal top hat (very small) with a hole all the way through it and over that went the wrap cap that was made out of a rubber like material.

I think the wires wee supose to be twisted before the connector was crimped, then the wire ends sticking out were to be cut off.

Solid wire does notusually work well with crimp connectors.

Those are the crimp sleeves I was talking about. I don't see them used anymore but, as you say, they were popular in the 70s ... but so were leisure suits, ABBA and aluminum wire.

A twisted connection isn't a crimp, and "mobile homes" are a different situation completely - different code - and done as cheaply as possible.

No good for Aluminum - and generally not used in residential wiring - not sure if they even meet code.

We call those wire nuts in these parts. Never heard them call a Marrette before. Sounds like a dance troupe.