Home Improvement Today?

Is it because of the transition from aluminum to copper?

 

get outswing doors for starters

 

What do you think was not to code? I am assuming that the junction box had a cover and the connections were contained within. There is a reason they call it electrical tape…

 

The aluminum to copper makes sense now. I didn’t look closely at the wire, was too busy ripping stuff out.

Still seems like an insulated cover would be preferable to tape. Didn’t realize tape inside a box was allowed.

 

At least you didn't find duct tape in yours like I did


But I agree, it seems odd to use vinyl electric tape by itself for permanent installation. I always thought it was for securing rubber electric tape.

 

I wish I could go to that auction, lots of cool stuff.

 

I found a Lowes Hardware ad from the early 80's in my wall. 250' or Romex for $20 must've been nice. Also in there was a newspaper that the main article was about using those new microwave ovens to cook your underwear and kill bacteria...

 

Most electric motors are wired this way. Just split bolts wrapped in splice tape then gobs of electrical tape, all inside a metal box. Seemed sketchy the first time I did one but its what the bossman wanted. Its also how I learned that the Fastenal brand electrical tape is pure garbage. That 480V arc to the motor casing caught my attention haha.

 

So if I redo the same way, which tape is best for this? I tossed the old stuff, didn't seem like I ought to re-use it.

I might swap the cable to copper (even at today's prices) since the run is pretty short and we have to re-locate it anyway but once the soffit is demo'd I'll be able to see how hard/easy it will be to re-route (oven moves closer to the panel)

I _might_ be able to stretch the cooktop cable to the new oven location (that one is copper) but not sure on gauge, I think the cooktop was 30amp and the oven might have been 40 or 50?

 

I would opt for some of these in the appropriate size.


But to answer your question 3M #23 splicing tape then covered with 3M Super 33 electrical tape is how I did split bolt connections.

 

I have used split bolts on hundreds of motors without failure.

Buy 3M brand tape, use two layers, rubber first then vinyl over the top. Any electrical supply house will have them in stock.

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/electrical-construction-maintenance-us/products/electrical-tapes/

 

if you re-run it, get a 4-wire romex instead of the 3-wire. slightly safer to isolate the ground from the neutral back to the panel. i know they tie together in the panel, but the ground is always the emergency/failsafe path, best not to abuse it!

and i've always just used the appropriate wire nut sizing. most use a red, sometimes a large blue wire nut. split bolts while not technically illegal, just seems hacky to me. though officially, the lack of a dieelectric grease like NoLox on a copper/aluminum splice is not code compliant.

 

I was going to mention the return on the ground wire.

 

Home Depot has some Unitap connectors for $29 each. Yikes!

Theese seem better, assuming it will work?

Burndy BIT2/0 Unitap Clear Insulated Multiple Tap Connector, 14-2/0 AWG/kcmil Wire Range, 1.4" Width, 1.52" Length, 1.38" Height

$14 Burndy BIT2/0 Unitap Clear Insulated Multiple Tap Connector, 14-2/0 AWG/kcmil Wire Range, 1.4" Width, 1.52" Length, 1.38" Height

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CBK66Q4

 

The cooktop was done more recent than the oven and used copper wire with 3 conductors plus ground. We are switching to a gas range so if I can re-use the cooktop for the oven it’d be great. I should check gauge and breakers though. Can’t remember what was what.

 

I create time capsules when I do the drywall. Newspapers are hard to come by nowadays so I'll throw in what ever big box store junk mail ads I have around. Someday a guy is going to be "I can't believe eggs were only $5.00 a dozen."

 

I answered 100's of service calls where a wire nut ended up being the problem, never one for a split bolt.

 

I was taught twist wires together with pliers (stripped and insulated portions), cut exposed end to flush all wires, nut then tape nut/wires.

edit:
https://www.supplyhouse.com/Ideal-3...for-Wire-Nut-Wing-Nut-Twister-B-CAP-WingTwist

 

This was my old range wiring. Copper runs to aluminum pigtails. I found it when I remodeled the kitchen. The single gang box was replaced with a double gang and polaris lugs where used with Ideal Noalox. I feel much better about the current connection then the OG 1968 one. Those wire nuts fell apart when I removed them,

 

Surely twisting Al and Cu wires together is not to code, right?

And yes anti-ox grease for the blocks or lugs.