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While installing a new GE wall oven, I noticed that the appliance's power conduit uses aluminum conductors, while my house uses copper throughout (including this 240v drop for the oven.) This caught me by surprise, since the old oven (also a GE model) had copper conductors.

This tickled some latent memory in my head about this being problematic, and Google has confirmed. (Something about galvanic corrosion, leading to sparks and fires?)

I guess my questions are:

  1. Why would GE do this in a newer model? My experience is that (in Texas) modern residential construction uses copper. (This house is 2008.)
  2. What, in 2024, is considered the best way to make this connection?

EDITS (in response to comments):

  • I'm replacing my original photo with a better one, showing the markings "STYLE 3321" (which I now believe to indicate "fully annealed tinned copper")
  • The GE model number (as requested) is PT7800SHASS
  • The instruction manual has this warning:

Improper connection of aluminum house wiring to copper leads can result in an electrical hazard or fire

If GE had actually used aluminum for these leads, then I'd have expected the exact opposite wording in the above warning.

So... I may have now answered my own question as a result of the commentary, but I still invite an official answer for posterity.

image showing close-up details of appliance power lead

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    Odds are excellent you're looking at tinned copper and thinking it's aluminum, but your picture isn't helpful to determine if that's the case or not.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Apr 29 at 2:54
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    A picture focussed on the cut ends of the whip wires, and/or the exact model number of your "new GE wall oven" would sort that out.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Apr 29 at 15:16
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    I will correct/provide when I next can. (Likely, less than 12 hours from now.)
    – GogTheGuilder
    Commented Apr 29 at 15:58

1 Answer 1

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If it's aluminum, cost savings while doing the job would be the reason - most electrical distribution is aluminum conductors for that reason.

Depending on wire size Mac-Block

enter image description here

Image source, example, not endorsement

or Polaris connectors

Polaris connector

Image source, example, not endorsement

are approved methods of joining aluminum and copper wires. Use a torque driver and tighten the screws on the connector to the manufacturer's specification for the specific connector and size of wire, neither too tight nor too loose.

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  • This is all true but entirely irrelevant to the OP. There is no aluminum wiring. Use good judgement and don't answer prematurely.
    – nobody
    Commented Apr 30 at 2:05
  • OP here. Ecnerwal's answer here might not have helped me specifically, but others who search DIYSE for similar questions might benefit from this answer. Just because an answer doesn't become the accepted answer, does not mean the answer has no value.
    – GogTheGuilder
    Commented Apr 30 at 18:06
  • @GogTheGuilder SE sites are not open-ended discussion forums. They are libraries of answers to questions. Answers are expected to directly answer the question being asked. There are dozens of other questions that are actually about aluminum wiring where this information could be posted if it isn't already (but it almost certainly already is). We do not need yet another copy of it here.
    – nobody
    Commented May 1 at 2:31
  • Meanwhile, @nobody missed the first, bolded word of the answer and goes off on a rant. I answered the question asked, when it it was unclear if the wire had been misidentified (as I pointed out was likely in a comment on the question, first) or not.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented May 3 at 1:05

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