On Mon, 16 Oct 2017 16:40:17 -0400, Retired wrote:

On 10/16/17 4:36 PM, Tekkie® wrote:

Has anyone used or seen crimped connectors in USA wiring? I am curious as to
how widespread it is.


Crimped copper pigtails are very common when retrofitting a home that
was wired with aluminum wiring.
HELLISHLY expensive though. You cannot buy the tool, and you need to
be authorized to rent it - and to be authorized you need to pay for
and complete a training course.

Typical cost is half the price of rewiring the home with copper -
which is JUST PLAIN INSANE!!!

The ideal purple nuts have been implicated is numerous fires and are
no longer legal to use for transition from aluminum to copper in
Canada. Here we can only use the brown bakelite Marrette ACS wirenuts
from Thomas and Betts. They can be used for copper/copper, al/al, and
copper/al connections. A bit more expensive than standard Marrettes,
or particularly the cheap plastic Chinese "wire nuts" that are
available everywhere for "peanuts" The ACS will not welt if they get
hot, and they will not burn.

I just did my house about 2 years ago, using aluminum rated devices
where available, and pigtailing to copper with ACS wirenuts where
required (no AL rated GFCI devices, or dimmer switches,and most
"direct wire" fictures and appliances. My new Square D QO distribution
panel is rated for AL or copper, so no problem there.

I managed to get the required permits and inpections although under
current regulations you MUST be a licenced electrician to do ANYTHING
on aluminum wire in Ontario. Yje inspections were required for
insurance purposes - and the permits were required to get the
inspections - - - .

My dad was an electrician, and I had worked with him many times and
knew how to do things right - which likely helped. (Dad had died
several years earlier, so I could not have him do the work or apply
for the permits)