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This document provides opinions, conclusions, and links to public documents outlining the history of debate and research concerning use of the Ideal #65 Twister, a twist-on connector listed by UL and marketed by Ideal Corporation as a retrofit product for aluminum wiring.

10/20/97 Independent Research reports to IEEE Holm Conference indicates splices using this connector are not capable of long term safe performance as part of the permanent wiring of existing aluminum-wired homes.

9/10/97 Field failures of this device in actual service have now been reported.

3/29/96 Independent Tests indicate Ideal-65 purple Twist-on retrofit connector fails UL 486C Safety Standard despite its UL-listing

1/31/96 Ideal Corporation has indicated they're sending us additional information. 5/96 note: received, not posted. Reply contained no information except asserts no reported problems.

1/31/96 Fire Hazards With Aluminum to Copper Twist-on Connectors & Acceptable Repair Practices Color Photos, Alternative Retrofit/Repair Procedures, Current Issues. From the 9/28/95 CPSC Meeting Minutes.

9/28/95: AL-Rated Twist-On Connector Debate Continues: At a second meeting at CPSC HQ on 9/28/95, attended by the manufacturer, CPSC, UL, the author, and other professionals we learned that the manufacturer has responded to some of the CPSC concerns. That information, along with information from UL is forthcoming in the meeting log.

Ideal's marketing literature which we received and which opens with "Retrofitting Aluminum Wire Used To Be A Can of Worms"..."Not Any More!" should not be taken literally to mean that this is a general retrofit product.

At the 9/28/95 meeting the manufacturer clarified that while their new twist-on connector has been listed under UL486C, this device is not intended for general aluminum wiring retrofit. The new connector is intended for limited special applications involving (only) certain aluminum-to-copper splices such as the addition of a new device (eg. ceiling fan) to a house wired with aluminum. The manufacturer is reviewing its marketing and instructional literature in order to clarify the intended use.

6/1/95: Twist-on connectors (wire nuts) have not been recommended (by the CPSC) for permanent repair of aluminum wire electrical circuits. To date, this includes recently-released twist-on connectors manufactured by Ideal Industries and available in some markets. While Underwriters Laboratories has listed these new twist-on's, at a meeting with the CPSC on 1 June,1995, a number of CPSC concerns were reviewed with UL and with the device manufacturer. As a result, additional research is being performed.

6/1/95 CPSC, UL, Ideal Corp, Meeting Log 6/1/95 documenting UL-CPSC agreements for report exchange and additional testing of twist-on connectors for aluminum retrofit

5/1/95 CPSC letter documenting concerns with twist-on connectors for aluminum wire retrofit

Conclusions & Opinions

1/31/96: Previous position: We view the CPSC and independent consultant's concerns as serious, and have some additional opinions based on field experience. The CPSC is waiting for additional information before deciding on any recommendations or actions.

We advise consumers, electricians, and building inspectors to wait for follow up information from the CPSC or other authorities before recommending this new product to their clients. Any new information we receive will be posted here promptly.

Despite some recent misunderstandings to the contrary, ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors does not approve nor recommend products, including this one, but does provide information for building professionals and consumers on this and other topics.

More Information - Detection, Repair, Advice for Aluminum Wiring in Buildings

"Evaluation of a Twist-on Connector for Aluminum Wire", J. Aronstein, Forty-Third IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts, Jan 1997, 0-7803-3968-1/97.
[This article describes the Ideal Industries Ideal#65 purple "Twister" twist-on connector marketed as a repair/retrofit for residential aluminum wi ring.--DJF]

Abstract: A new type of twist-on splicing component for use with aluminum and copper wire combinations is tested to determine initial resistance, performance in a zero-current environment test, performance in a heat-cycle test, and portion of current carried by the connector's steel spring. The splices tested consist of two aluminum wires and one copper wire.

The aluminum wire samples used for the test are of the types actually installed in aluminum-wired homes. Initial resistance is found to be relatively high, and there is a significant sample-to-sample variation. This reflects failure to consistently establish low-resistance wire-to-wire contact Through the insulating oxide film on the wire.

Results of the environmental and heat-cycle tests show deterioration of a significant portion of the samples.

The splices made with this connector are also found to be sensitive to mechanical disturbance, such as applied in normal installation when the completed splice is pushed back in to the junction box.

Based on the test results, it is concluded that this connector has not overcome the fundamental deficiency of twist-on connectors for use with aluminum wire applications. Keywords: aluminum wire, connectors, twist-on connectors, environmental test, heat-cycle test.

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