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Home > Archive > Electrical Engineering > May 2006 > aluminum #4 wire
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| Peter Fry 2006-05-12, 2:21 pm |
| I have some aluminum wire that the electric company left on the
ground. So I ran it to the garage for a 220 line. It's in conduit
under ground. Once in the basement it is not. I have a splice in the
basement using #4 bullet connectors. Just like a smaller crimp
connector you might use in auto's, only larger. I used a hammer type
crimp tool so the crimp is good. The connectors are just puny compared
to the power company's connectors. After reading about some dangers of
aluminum I'm wondering if what I've done is safe. Thanks, Pete.
*** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***
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| Long Ranger 2006-05-12, 4:21 pm |
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<Peter Fry> wrote in message news:4464c01c.58238515@free.teranews.com...
>I have some aluminum wire that the electric company left on the
> ground. So I ran it to the garage for a 220 line. It's in conduit
> under ground. Once in the basement it is not. I have a splice in the
> basement using #4 bullet connectors. Just like a smaller crimp
> connector you might use in auto's, only larger. I used a hammer type
> crimp tool so the crimp is good. The connectors are just puny compared
> to the power company's connectors. After reading about some dangers of
> aluminum I'm wondering if what I've done is safe. Thanks, Pete.
>
> *** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***
Exposed wiring of any sort is a no-no. Also, there are special
considerations for splicing aluminum conductors, such as connector type,
using oxide inhibitors, and the two dissimilar metals cannot be in direct
contact with each other. There is also the issue of conductor fill in the
conduit, and wether or not the wire is a jacketed assembly, and insulation
type,just to name a few considerations. Sounds like a rather dubious
undertaking to me.
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| gfretwell@aol.com 2006-05-13, 2:21 pm |
| On Fri, 12 May 2006 17:18:12 GMT, Peter Fry wrote:
>I have some aluminum wire that the electric company left on the
>ground. So I ran it to the garage for a 220 line. It's in conduit
>under ground. Once in the basement it is not. I have a splice in the
>basement using #4 bullet connectors. Just like a smaller crimp
>connector you might use in auto's, only larger. I used a hammer type
>crimp tool so the crimp is good. The connectors are just puny compared
>to the power company's connectors. After reading about some dangers of
>aluminum I'm wondering if what I've done is safe. Thanks, Pete.
>
>*** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***
The splice should be in a box. You can get listed split bolt
connectors for al/cu connections. They have an interposer between the
aluminum and copper side. They also have barrel and set screw
connectors, listed al/cu.
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| SQLit 2006-05-14, 12:21 pm |
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<Peter Fry> wrote in message news:4464c01c.58238515@free.teranews.com...
> I have some aluminum wire that the electric company left on the
> ground. So I ran it to the garage for a 220 line. It's in conduit
> under ground. Once in the basement it is not. I have a splice in the
> basement using #4 bullet connectors. Just like a smaller crimp
> connector you might use in auto's, only larger. I used a hammer type
> crimp tool so the crimp is good. The connectors are just puny compared
> to the power company's connectors. After reading about some dangers of
> aluminum I'm wondering if what I've done is safe. Thanks, Pete.
>
> *** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***
There is nothing wrong with AL wire. Competent installers use it every day
with out any problems.
As for "hammer" type crimp tool, I have never seen one. I use compression
tools and the splices and terminations are never a problem.
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