Can I use ordinary wiring Marrettes to join aluminum and copper wire together to wire up led flush mount lights. Is there a product that will protect the joining of aluminum wiring and copper wiring ?
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4What makes your think they're aluminum? That sound highly improbable...– Harper - Reinstate MonicaCommented May 13, 2019 at 15:52
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7What you think is aluminum may be copper wires that have been tinned.– manassehkatz-Moving 2 CodidactCommented May 13, 2019 at 15:58
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6Where "tinned" means "coated with solder, which is a silvery colored alloy, but not aluminum." It's pretty close to inconceivable that NEW fixtures (or LED fixtures, which are "new enough" even if used, in this context) would have aluminum wires.– EcnerwalCommented May 13, 2019 at 16:08
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2Very cheap Chinese components may also be made with aluminum wire. But those would not be UL-listed, so we shouldn't be talking about them.– Harper - Reinstate MonicaCommented May 13, 2019 at 16:13
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5Twist-on connectors are also known as wire nuts, wire connectors, cone connectors, or thimble connectors. One trade name for such connectors, Marrette, is derived from the name of their inventor (see History) and, in Canada, this type of connector is often referred to as a marrette regardless of the actual brand of the product.– Fresh CodemongerCommented May 13, 2019 at 16:21
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2 Answers
Although I doubt you have aluminum wiring in a new device (probably tinned copper). You can join aluminum wire to copper wire with alumiconns. These are special wire nuts that have a special jell inside and these are 1 use only (alumiconns are usually purple or the 2 brands I have used are purple) for example the box I have on the shelf is ideal brand Twister AL/CU, these are listed for aluminum to copper wire connections. Regular wire nuts create a fire hazard with copper to aluminum connections so it can or needs to be done with alumiconns. I would bet you have tinned stranded wire coming from the new fixture. If you take a knife and scrape the wires there will s probably copper under the tin. If copper under the tin you can just use a standard wire it that is the correct size for the wire.
I have the same set up at my house. We have to use the purple alum-icon all the time as we have been going one room at a time to update all the electrical. This is a normal practice.
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