Joining aluminium and copper wires

Another issue is the joining of aluminium wire to copper wire. As aluminium and
copper are dissimilar metals, galvanic corrosion can occur in the presence of an
electrolyte and these connections can become unstable over time. Special
connectors have been designed for the purpose of joining aluminium to copper
wire, such as the Marrette No. 63 and No. 65 and the Ideal Twister No. 65. These
twist-on wire connectors use a special antioxidant paste to prevent corrosion of
the connection. Lug type connectors similar to those used for larger gauge
aluminium-aluminium and aluminium-copper connections are now available for
branch circuit size wiring. These would appear to make a more reliable
connection on the aluminium wire with its higher coefficient of expansion than
wire nut-type connectors. These may have the same problem with enclosure
space as the COPALUM system (described under "Upgrading aluminium-wired
homes")or the AlumiConn connectors. A listed connector should always be used
for connecting aluminium to copper wire.