GFCI breakers for Al wiring

use the correct al-cu connectors to make some copper pigtails, and use a regular gfci outlet

I would look around the internet to see if you can find a GFCI compatible with aluminum wiring first. Fitting a GFCI in an existing box is tough enough, but if you had to add pigtails, it's going to be just about impossible unless it's already in an oversized box.

GFCI breakers will still protect you if you stick a fork in a toaster even with aluminum wire.

The issue is not the breaker itself, but the connection with the aluminum wire. When using aluminum wire you need to ensure that all connected devices are rated for use with aluminum.

This can be expensive. For instance, an aluminum-rated toggle switch costs about four times as much as one rated for copper only.

Chris

Yeah, and that's the problem - I haven't yet found a Cu/Al GFCI outlet for *any* price. Which is why I was thinking it might be better to just do it at the breaker box. More inconvenient if you trip it, and yeah, it might be hard to physically stuff one in the box too.

Or I could call an electrician and have them crimp-pigtail just the offending receptacles and use a regular GFCI outlet on those.

Even with the GFCI outlets, I'd install AFCIs (arc fault current interrupters) at the circuit breaker panel. They're required by the NEC now for bedroom outlets in new homes and arc faults are one of the failure modes for aluminum wiring as the connections go bad. See:

TKM

For which panels are those available? I've been told that the Siemens breakers are both GFCI/AFCI and believe that to be the case (based on personal experience - I posted before about a "ground fault" through a USB cable causing my AFCI breaker to trip) but a) I can't find documentation of same and b) I was also told that the GF protection was at an "equipment protection" level not a "personnel protection" level (I believe 30 mA vs 5 mA, but I'm going off memory here) therefore it wouldn't meet the intent of the Code.

I do agree, however, that AFCI protection does not seem to be an entirely bad idea with Al wiring. FWIW I've had the AFCI in for several months now and have experienced no nuisance trips, only the trips caused by the USB issue mentioned above.

nate

There seems to be a heck of a lot of detailed information on dealing with aluminum wiring here:

You might want to wait a while yet. As I understand it, current AFCI's only protect against parallel arcs, where there is an arc between hot and neutral (or ground), without the load being in series, and the current spikes are high.

The arcs you get from deteriorating aluminum connections are series arcs, in series with the load. Even with a high load like a toaster or a microwave oven, the arc current spikes can't exceed the full load current of that appliance. So these arcs are harder to detect, and current AFCIs are not designed to do so. And so you won't get any protection from arcing connections.

Future AFCIs are supposed to detect series arcs too. I'd wait until they appear if you don't have to install AFCIs now.

Dave

You're teh first one to explain this to me. Of course I never asked anyone, but still, thank you.

Yup, but still nothing about the GFCI issue. I did find a link to the new "AlumiConn" connectors which look like my best option for pigtailing. Of course, now I have to make sure they didn't use any #14 wire anywhere....

You should never connect a copper only rated device to aluminum wire because it creates a serious fire hazzard. If you don't know that you shouldn't be answering questions from people who obviously already know more than you.

Amuninum wire is such a pain I would seriously consider fishing new wire.

It will specifically say so like with other outlets and switches.

Yeah, it would figure that copper prices are through the roof again at the moment.

A GFCI *breaker* will say so? I already gave up on a GFCI *outlet* in lieu of an appropriate pigtail solution. I don't see any distinguishing Al-compatible markings on the existing breakers...

What's the issue with pigtailing within a breaker box? Seems *far* easier than pigtailing within an outlet box - no space issues to mess you up.

nate

According to TKM :

I believe that the current specification for AFCI breakers requires them to have a GFCI function, but STR the GFCI function spec is 30ma instead of 5ma in regular non-AFCI GFCIs.

Breakers are marked/spec'd Al/Cu if applicable. AFAIK GFCI breakers are no exception. How does the wiring look at the existing breaker connections? Any sign of overheating? I got to tell you I would not have Al wiring in a house of mine even a rental. If I were buying I would demand a big offset on the price to compensate for it too. Just too many known problems. If I were somehow stuck with it I would bite the bullet and replace ASAP. Peace of mind alone is worth it. Do it a circuit at a time whenever you have to work on one for some other reason if that's the only way and drop any 20A breakers to 15A on renmaining Al circuits for added safety. I think the NEC now requires 15A on Al circuits anyway.

Example of breaker rating/markings:

I got a jar full of pennies and nickels and dimes?.

How come it hasn't caught on fire yet?

GFCIs protect against L-E shocks and shorts, which have nothing to do with the risk that ali wiring posts. Al oxidises at joints, heats up & catches fire. A gfci doesnt make the remotest difference to that. An AFCI however would.

I'm not that familiar with US practices, but I dont expect many modern electrical parts will have al compatible connections.

yup. If you need to put an AFCI in each circuit, the AFCI can have a copper tail leading to a purpose designed cu to al connector. Follow the proper procedure in the instructions, al behaves differently to cu.

AFCIs arent perfect, but they do reduce risk quite a lot.

NT