splicing aluminum to copper elec wire

[12th_Man_Fan]

I just bought a new oven and it came with aluminum wire and I have to splice it to copper. Do I need to do something different for this connection?

I know aluminum and copper doesn't play well together in some instances.

Thanks in advance for the you help.

[down_home]

I'm not sure what is available today as far as ovens.We made a lot of aluminum wire at Olin but I wouldn't use it. Any sharp king or bend or just anything starts to act as dam, if you will, and resistance starts and heats up and over time can fail causing fire. At one time when Mobile Home manufacturers used aluminum wire, there was a tremendous percentage of them that went up in flames from using aluminum wire. Still a lot of it is used in high tension lines etc but I'm not upon the tech now. Rh special crimps or nuts for these dissimliar metals are a must.Aluminum under high electric loads get hotter at kinks joints and connections. and when in contact with copper etc any moisture in the air or on the connection will cause a lot of galvanic and other corrosion. When the wires get cold moisture is attracted and just like a metal spoon or glass taken from a freezer or refrigerator aluminum oxides form rapidly even in the driest of air.

[JoeH]

what I used
NOALOX

[wa8yxm]

I will join the use the special connectors designed for the job chorus.

Avoid joining AL to CU if possible but if you must use the proper AL/CU or CU/Al connector for it is designed for the job.

Standard connectors not good for this. Corrosion will set in, resistance goes up and with a Stove or oven which are HIGH CURRENT devices.. bad things can happen (like fires)

[DrewE]

Gdetrailer wrote:

Regardless I would not make a direct splice period even though there are splices designed for this issue..

Instead consider installing a plug and receptacle.

Place receptacle in a accessible location beside or near the oven, this now allows you to easily unplug and remove oven for future servicing or replacing. Gets rid of the al to copper interfacing issue and gives you an emergency means of disconnecting the oven..

For home, may require checking code to see if you need a service switch in addition to the receptacle..

I am a bit shocked that any appliance would come with a aluminum wire lead.. Typically there is an access panel that gives you terminals so you can add a pigtail with plug of your choice or you add your own wire to the oven terminals.. Check to see if there is a terminal box..

This is spot-on advice. Typically from what I've seen the receptacle is installed low on the wall in back of the range, and can be accessed without moving the range (albeit none to conveniently) by removing the storage drawer underneath the oven.

It runs through my mind that the electric code requires some disconnection means within some reasonable distance to the range, so a socket and plug or safety switch is needed if it doesn't happen to be quite close to the electric panel. I may be all wrong about that, though; I haven't verified that my memory and understanding is correct. Regardless, it's a good idea in any case.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Jeezo any professional electrical wholesale supply will be glad to set you up with the correct interface connector. TIN PLATING is the common denominator between AL CU. The 2 different wires never touch each other they get crimped to tin plated copper. The tin plating is quite thick.

[time2roll]

Any way to get into the oven and replace the AL with CU? Of course the internal connection needs to be compatible.

[SDcampowneroper]

SDcampowneroperator wrote:
get an electician with the proper connectors. Or if you are handy and do your research, get the right connectors.
I once had an 1981 Lincoln Electric SA 200 portable welder with AL. windings to CU. cables. It was awful, The heat from resistance caused voltage drop, anperage increase burning out the connections.
A constant current (150 ishamp ) variable voltage welder( 28 - 48ish v) SMAW process is a different critter but the same rules apply, When amperes increase the size of the cable must also increase.
Think of it like a mountain waterfall or a slow river. They both move the same amount of water energy over a given distance in the same amount of time. That is the v/a simple definition.
Camps are full of underground AL. cables to AL. bus to CU. wiring to the plug. Even your house likely has AL. wire to the panel.
Applying the rules of electrolytic corrosion between dissimillar metals requires dielectric coatings and weather proof lubricant in enclosures.
In a mobile welder, open to the weather, it failed. In a home or campground with protected enclosures its great. Your issue can be resolved with the right weatherproof, dielectric compatible connector.

a bit of dielectic grease maybe? for an indoor oven?

[Gdetrailer]

12th Man Fan wrote:
I just bought a new oven and it came with aluminum wire and I have to splice it to copper. Do I need to do something different for this connection?

I know aluminum and copper doesn't play well together in some instances.

Thanks in advance for the you help.

New oven for home or RV?

Regardless I would not make a direct splice period even though there are splices designed for this issue..

Instead consider installing a plug and receptacle.

Place receptacle in a accessible location beside or near the oven, this now allows you to easily unplug and remove oven for future servicing or replacing. Gets rid of the al to copper interfacing issue and gives you an emergency means of disconnecting the oven..

For home, may require checking code to see if you need a service switch in addition to the receptacle..

I am a bit shocked that any appliance would come with a aluminum wire lead.. Typically there is an access panel that gives you terminals so you can add a pigtail with plug of your choice or you add your own wire to the oven terminals.. Check to see if there is a terminal box..

[SDcampowneroper]

get an electician with the proper connectors. Or if you are handy and do your research, get the right connectors.
I once had an 1981 Lincoln Electric SA 200 portable welder with AL. windings to CU. cables. It was awful, The heat from resistance caused voltage drop, anperage increase burning out the connections.
A constant current (150 ishamp ) variable voltage welder( 28 - 48ish v) SMAW process is a different critter but the same rules apply, When amperes increase the size of the cable must also increase.
Think of it like a mountain waterfall or a slow river. They both move the same amount of water energy over a given distance in the same amount of time. That is the v/a simple definition.
Camps are full of underground AL. cables to AL. bus to CU. wiring to the plug. Even your house likely has AL. wire to the panel.
Applying the rules of electrolytic corrosion between dissimillar metals requires dielectric coatings and weather proof lubricant in enclosures.
In a mobile welder, open to the weather, it failed. In a home or campground with protected enclosures its great. Your issue can be resolved with the right weatherproof, dielectric compatible connector.

[cavie]

enblethen wrote:
You can coat the wires with electrical de-oxidation grease and use a standard wire nut rated cu/al.

non you can not' use cu/al butt splice crip connectors. copper on one side Al on the other. or cu/al split bolt connectors.

[enblethen]

You can coat the wires with electrical de-oxidation grease and use a standard wire nut rated cu/al.

[Old-Biscuit]

While copper and aluminum can work together, they require special connectors to join these different metals.
The problem begins when two dissimilar metals meet; a chemical reaction takes place that causes them to oxidize. Oxidation causes a high-resistant connection to develop with an unwanted voltage drop across the connection. Voltage drop leads to three potential problems: low voltage resulting in equipment damage, wasted energy and poor efficiency -- and the most dangerous of all -- the connection heats up and can contribute to fires at high-ampere loads.

Expansion and Contractions
Aluminum and copper do not expand and contract at the same rates as they heat up and cool down. This difference can cause wire splices or connections to work loose. A loose connection, whether at a splice in a junction box or at a terminal screw on a switch or receptacle can cause arcing. Loose connections are forerunners to arc faults, arc flash and fires in electrical systems.

Copper and Aluminum Connections
Electricians can splice copper and aluminum wires together by using special copper-aluminum connectors.
You cannot splice them using a standard wire nut without dire consequences.
Connectors identified with a "Cu/Al" splice contain a chemical compound that combats the oxidation that would normally take place when joining aluminum and copper.

[Acampingwewillg]

Only thing that's comes to my mind is the " purple " wire nuts made specially for that type of splice! We always wrapped them in a good quality electrical tape also.