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| I've found many posts here and elsewhere regarding issues with joining copper and aluminum, mostly in regard to switches, receptacles, branch circuits, etc. However I haven't found the answer to a more basic question. Is there any problem with connecting a ceiling fixture with stranded aluminum leads to solid copper house wire? If this is OK what is the proper method of connection?
Thanks for any assistance you can provide. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Those fixture are most likely tinned copper conductors not aluminum. |
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| Very unlikely to be aluminum leads. Tinned copper is the most common fixture wire. If you are not sure, take a knife and scrape a strand and see if it is copper colored under the plating. |
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| While I tend to agree with brick and salt, NOTHING coming out of Communist China surprises me, and I mean NOTHING. Please report back with what you found. Most of these new "push-in" type connectors (e.g. IDEAL brand) are listed for use with stranded COPPER wire... just pre-twist the strands very tightly before inserting, and check the see-thru portion to ensure all strands were "captured". Personally, I'd solder-tin them first. If it turns out you really DO have aluminum on your hands, and you don't want to get a refund, then you're on a quest to find an electrical supply house that carries wire-nuts or connectors or splices listed for mixed Cu-Al use... pretty sure Duh Big Box stores do NOT carry such. |
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| WAGO brand "Lever-Nuts" are the simplest-to-use, easiest to RE-use (but most bulky and expensive) of the push-in connectors. Because there's no force on the strands until you press-down the locking lever, you don't even have to pre-twist stranded conductors. But again, listed use for COPPER ONLY. If you ever have to remove this ceiling fan/fixture, even to paint, the Wagos make it almost as simple as a plug-in appliance. Just used them in GF's rental flat to install way-cool chandelier. If/when she moves, landlord's lame-o pendant gets swapped back in approx. 3 minutes flat. ;') |
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