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Home > Archive > Electrical code Compliance > February 2007 > Source Needed for Switch
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Source Needed for Switch
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| robert.e.king 2007-02-07, 3:25 am |
| I need a source for a duplex switch, 2x SPST, 120/240 Vac, 15Amp. Must
be rated COPAL or ALR/CU (for use with aluminum wire). Home centers
and internet sources I found carry only CU-rated duplex switches. Any
ideas?
Bob King
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| robert.e.king wrote:
> I need a source for a duplex switch, 2x SPST, 120/240 Vac, 15Amp. Must
> be rated COPAL or ALR/CU (for use with aluminum wire). Home centers
> and internet sources I found carry only CU-rated duplex switches. Any
> ideas?
>
> Bob King
>
You could also pigtail to a copper wire, which is a common fix.
There is a paper at:
http://www.inspect-ny.com/aluminum/alreduce.htm
which has detailed information on many options for what to do with
aluminum wire. The information is the result of extensive testing of
aluminum connections for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which
apparently tried to recall aluminum 15 & 20A branch circuit wire. One of
the options is pigtailing and there is detailed information on brands
to use and procedure. Another procedure is for connection to CU/ALR devices.
--
bud--
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| mroberds@worldnet.att.net 2007-02-07, 1:25 pm |
| Crossposted and followups to alt.home.repair. This topic has been
discussed frequently there.
robert.e.king <robert.e.king@cox.net> wrote:
> I need a source for a duplex switch, 2x SPST, 120/240 Vac, 15Amp. Must
> be rated COPAL or ALR/CU (for use with aluminum wire). Home centers
> and internet sources I found carry only CU-rated duplex switches. Any
> ideas?
Disclaimer: I am not an electrician.
A quick turn through the Leviton, Pass and Seymour/Legrand, and Hubbell
catalogs don't show anything suitable, which is a reasonable clue that
it may not exist. You might try a local electrical supply house - often
the name will be something like "Acme Electric Supply" - to see if they
have any ideas.
You might be able to install a wider box in the wall and use two single-
gang CO/ALR switches, which still seem to be obtainable. If you don't
want to cut into the wall, maybe you can use a wider surface-mounted box
over the existing hole. Wiremold is one manufacturer of boxes like this.
You could join some short copper wires to the existing aluminum wires
and use the widely-available copper-only wiring devices. There are
apparently two major ways to join copper to aluminum wire - one of them
has to be installed by an electrician, but is claimed to provide a much
better connection.
Disclaimer: I am not an electrician.
Matt Roberds
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| Tick Tock 2007-02-08, 9:25 am |
| It's no big deal - got to your local Electrical Supply House - if you
can't find an aluminum contact device use what you have...what's a
little galvanic reaccion going to do there ?
Wait !!!
This is not going to be used in space is it ? ;-)
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