From: "Intrigued" 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: GFCI in an aluminum wired circuit
Date: Sat, 06 Dec 2003 02:38:31 GMT


"glenn"  wrote in message
news:488e9cdf.0312031545.61068c6b@posting.google.com...
> My house was built in the early seventies and is wired with aluminum.
> I am planning to add a couple of receptacles.  One is adjacent to a
> bathroom sink and so a GFCI is needed.  In preparation I am reading a
> DIY book on Basic Wiring.  One caution that has been repeated is to
> Hire an electrician to install any GFCI on a circuit having aluminum
>

Special wire connectors are available that allow you to connect copper wire
to aluminum wire.  You can use the special wire connectors to pigtail a
copper wire off each aluminum wire, then connect the copper wire to the
GFCI.

The downside is that the special connectors are very expensive, around $2
each, if I remember correctly.  They sell them at Home Depot, by the way.
The are clearly labeled as to their purpose.