On Tue, 2007-03-06 at 18:02 -0500, Wb5jvt@aol.com wrote:
> Aluminum Wire. Why would anyone want to use aluminum wire?
>
> A lot of homes were built in the seventies using aluminum wire. Bunches of
> them had fires that started because the connections at that time weren't
> designed for the extra coefficient of expansion that aluminum has compared to
>
> copper; thus, loose connection, resistance, heat poof .
>
> Stick with copper unless you are going to build a factory and then consult
> an engineer. This opinion is worth exactly what you are paying for it.
Most modern wire connections for sizes larger than 10 or 12 are made of
tin plated aluminum, so the use of aluminum wire works well with them.
Today receptacles and wall switches can be had designed for aluminum
even in the 10 and 12 gauge sizes that caused so much trouble those
years ago. And even wire nuts can be had, though they cost a couple
bucks each.
With the escalating price of copper these days, the extra space and care
required for using aluminum often pays.
--
73, Jerry, K0CQ,
All content copyright Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer
_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
|