light leakage through loose threads, teflon tape

Wire nuts are a disaster with aluminum wiring, but work well with copper. Honking big ones with seventeen #14 conductors crammed in them are another matter, but I don't think the code allows that anyway. Two or three conductors, twisted tightly for at least 2 or 3 full turns, and then the nut holds them together and provides additional gas-tight connections, a la wire wrap wire.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Huh, what do you use if you have no wire nuts? For say ~10A house wiring?

George H.

screw or spring loaded connectors

Winfield was in one reply wondering about max SMD temperature, probably including PCB temperature for long life

We normally use max PCB temperature of 105 degrees,but I have been unable to find reasoning for this value

Did some digging and found this thorough report of PCB reliability:

Seems from table 12 that a good target is maximum 140 degrees

Cheers

Klaus

OK, I can believe that for the PCB, but if the PCB is 140 C, what's the semi junction temp going to be? For my prototype, I've been using abs max PCB temps of 115 to 120C. It's quite limiting. With six SMT parts, dissipating 2.5W total, I'm getting 150C.

On May 29, 2019, George Herold wrote (in article):

Barrier terminal strips:.

Joe Gwinn

Ali wiring is its own pile of trouble. It's not permitted here, though old installs are occasionally found.

NT

Choc blocks, they're screw connectors. Most circuits are 6A lighting or 32A sockets, with sometimes 20A sockets & on the odd occasion 10A lighting. Cookers & showers are whatever they need to be, often 32A or 40A.

IMHO it would make sense to transition to 1A single insulated lighting for small buried circuits, but it won't happen.

NT

OK, thanks.. (and Joe and Chris)

George h.

Hasn't been used here in ages either AFAIK.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Not true. AL wiring is still allowed for point-to-point 220V wiring, like ranges and dryers. All of the components are designed for AL wiring, of course. Cost trumps safety, I guess. I've found a lot of loose connections in these appliances.

Yikes. My joint has all oversized copper wiring, copper pipes, metal junction boxes, 5/8" drywall, plywood sheathing, and so on. That's a garden-variety 1960 raised-ranch house in NY. Mid-century modern rocks. ;)

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

NY has always been really anal about wiring and plumbing, to the point that it's illegal for homeowners to do their own work in most areas. The '60s were prime times for AL wiring. Worse, mixed CU and AL, without proper fixtures, even.

Mid-century modern is really nice visually but much of it was really trash. Tri-levels can really look good but not so great for air movement, for instance. Build quality, in those years, was often pretty poor, too. Evidently you got lucky.

Big installations do it all the time, but that involves paste, hydraulic crimps, lugs... not exactly quick-connect fittings. Your local inspector won't see that in a house, usually.