GFCI breakers for Al wiring

[runderwo]

"Normal" butt splices as opposed to the COPALUM splices that require a special tool.

OK, so currently my Al mitigation plan is:

- Use Scotchlok spring nuts according to the instructions in alreduce.htm (scrape, no-alox, pre-twist) wherever solid aluminum mates to solid copper

- Use Alumiconn e.g. on fixtures with stranded copper or where space is an issue

- Replace any 14AWG aluminum wire

- Replace any 20A breakers on 12AWG aluminum circuits with 15A breakers

- On switches and outlets, replace with new CO/ALR devices

- Pigtail to copper for GFCI outlets in baths, kitchen, laundry, or similarly install GFCI breakers if I can find them for my panel

- Have an electrician check the connections at high voltage appliances and the service drop

- Keep my eye out for the feasibility of series fault AFCIs as they become available

[Dave Martindale]

Do you actually have any 14 AWG aluminum? Was it ever used for branch circuits? Similarly, was 12 AWG ever used for 20 A circuits?

I thought aluminum was always required to be 12 AWG for 15 A.

Dave

[Chris Lewis]

AFAIK, Al was _always_ up one guage for the same ampacity. Eg: 15A -> 12ga, 20A -> 10ga

But it doesn't hurt to doublecheck. It was new, some electricians goofed.

[runderwo]

I haven't checked yet, but I was told it was common in bathroom wiring at the time. I'm picturing that it would have been used e.g. to wire those crappy bathroom light fixtures that have an AC plug on the side.

[Chris Lewis]

I don't think 14AWG aluminum was ever available here. Not rated for 15A, can't be used for power wiring...

[David Combs]

Nifty thread, lots of good info about al oxide, etc.

OK -- some 15 or more years ago I set up a hi-fi system:

the receiver/amp/fm-am were, as usual, in one box, and I connected it (via cables) to a tape deck and (later) to cd-player (my terminology!).

When I did this the cable ends were "male" aluminum, and on the various boxes the "female" sockets(?) were also aluminum (seemed to me. Maybe it just *looked* like aluminum?)

Anyway, the other day it was sounding a bit "scratchy", and it turned out to be cable-connection. After I got my pocket-knife and lightly scraped the male plug, it worked fine again.

Someone observing this told me that times had changed, and that these days pretty much no one used aluminum; instead, they used gold-plated plugs and sockets, etc.

That I throw away all my (stereo) cables and replace them all with these gold ones.

So here I am considering this, wondering how much these new gold-plated things will cost, etc --

and lo and behold, I come across this thread.

QUESTION: once you had scraped clean an al plug, then would you paint on one of the several anti-oxidation products you were talking about?

Or maybe that makes no sense at all!

Suggestions?

Thanks

David

[Bud--]

Sounds like shielded cable connected by RCA plugs?

I doubt aluminum was ever used. I would guess more likely tinned or nickel plated surface. If I was doing it, I would probably use a *very* light coat of Lubriplate (white lithium grease) or Vaseline. Or pull the connectors out and reinsert every 5 years to mechanically wear the surface.

IMHO the major effectiveness of gold plated audio stuff is separating pidgeons from their money.

Better answers might be obtained from sci.electronics.repair. They probably lack the 'audiophiles' that give bizarre answers. Or alt.engineering.electrical.

[For an amusing pseudo-audiophile post on alt.engineering.electrical see message 4 at:

-- bud--