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Posted by tim on December 1, 2006, 7:52 pm
> tim wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>>>I remember hearing that
>>>>aluminum wiring is bad - is aluminum wiring just a bad idea
>>>>for the circuits - but OK for the long run from panel to
>>>>panel.
>>>
>>>Thats right, its fine for a heavy run to the new panel. He'll
>>>use proper AL connectors of course and no one will be the wiser
>>>
>>>>Or should I just suck it up and use copper for the 100 ft
>>>>run??
>>>
>>>Its your $$
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> Amusing story about copper vs alum. I put myself through
>> college working for the maint. dept. One job we were doing was
>> new service entrance and breaker panels for a 50yr old
>> building. All the raceways and boxes were sized properly for
>> the COPPER wiring planned for the service entrance (think it
>> was 4/0 - at least was on edge of break where next size wire
>> meant bigger raceways etc.) Purchasing agent went looking
>> through his catalog and noticed that next size larger AL would
>> carry same current at one half price so that is what he
>> ordered. It was verrry interesting working with those guys
>> trying to fit the oversized AL into the raceways and into the
>> cable clamps that were one size too small!
>
> The raceways and/or conduit wasn't sized properly then to begin
> with. A properly sized conduit or raceway isn't that close to
> being full to start with. Fill factors are almost always 50% or
> less. If one size larger wire caused a problem, then the
> initial design was faulty and did not meet code.
>
> Then again, this has an urban legend feel to it...
>
>
> Matt
>
It wasn't the full part, it was the bend radius where the conduit
came into the raceway and left the raceway to enter the main
disconnect.
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