One of the more common questions teams have regarding the use of aluminum wire is how to adapt the aluminum wire for use with existing copper wire. Companies often choose aluminum wire due to the high cost of copper. In this post, the team here at Greaves explains more about how to connect aluminum wire to copper wire with aluminum wire connectors.

Use PT-pin-terminal compression adapters

PT compression adapters are designed with an aluminum barrel, which means they are dual-rated for both copper and aluminum wire applications. They use a Class-B copper wire pin, whichis stranded for insertion into either a copper/bronzeor a dual-rated aluminum lug. Using the PTO configuration provides an offset pin to help fit multiple wire adapters into closely spaced wire ports.

The lugs/splices used for aluminum wire

The Greaves dual-rated splices, lugs, and multi-wire connectors can be used for aluminum or copper wires. This means you can use our company’s aluminum compression lugs and splices to connect aluminum and copper wire. These include the following compression models: ASC-T, AL, AL-N, ASL-N, AC-R, ACK-R. You might also use our mechanical models, which include the following: A-, AA-, AAA-, AAAA-, AQ-, ABS, GP, BTL.

Grounding considerations

When connecting aluminum and copper wires, grounding the wires is of the utmost importance. Many companies are now using tin-plated bronze clamps, which help mitigate electrolyte corrosion and are suitable for most applications where there are no temperature or amperage considerations.

Turn to Greaves for the highest quality underground wire connectors

Our experienced team at Greaves has helped companies throughout the industrial marketplace select underground wire connectors that safeguard their teams and support optimal performance across their applications. We have a comprehensive selection designed to meet the challenges in various industries. To discover more about our company and the full range of underground wire connectors in our selection, call today.