Aluminium Cable

Jimmy Gillies

There was a programme on Home & Leisure, I think it was called Holmes on Homes? It's where a Contractor(Holmes) goes into homes to repair work that has been badly done by other GC's. It is based in Canida, I think?

On one show the 'Sparks' was having to deal with aluminium cable in a Kitchen. As most of the electrical cable in houses here in the UK are copper covered with pvc, can anyone please tell me what's the problem with aluminium wire?

Also, most of our 110mm soil pipes fitted here are UPVC with rubber ring joints, that can be disconnect or adjusted (in fact I disconnected some soil pipe in a crawl space the other day very easily, considering we fitted them 12 years ago)with ease. While most waste pipes are glued here, like I think? in Canida. Are all plastic soil pipes also glued, and is this not a hassle to install?

Please don't think that I'm saying ''all UK stuff is fab'', I'm just very interested. Can anyone please give me a good web site showing the installation details of the US/Canida plastic soil & waste system for domestic plumbing.

Kind regards.
Jimmy.

Carl PE

Aluminum Wire

has a higher expansion than copper when it heats up. After a few years of expanding and contracting, the connections get loose and start to arc.

Also higher electrical resistance. More voltage drop.

We use both glued and gasketed plastic pipe. I personally like the solvent-weld. Keeps the tree roots out.

Dale

2 comments

Alum was used here because it was cheaper and rated for the amps. As the other post said alum got a bad rap here for house wiring as it was the cause of alot of fires and alot of no elect to the outlet calls, the device screws were brass and the galvanic corrosion along with the expansion issues caused too many problems. Alum is all that is used for elect to the house, 200amps the usual feed and all utility wires are alum. The old copper services don't work as well. We are now smarter about alum connections and use grease coatings to prevent corrosions. As to the soil pipe, We pressure test the pipe with a water fill or air on large jobs, and I'll bet glued is cheaper.

Weezbo

Top o the day Jim...

your question about aluminium wire is whats the minor technicalities we have noticed? ..a. price is lower.
b.the size for aluminum is usually two sizes larger.
c. devises were more of a struggle to wire.
d.the ned for ox gaurd or a similar product is needed at terminals.
e.the expansion and contraction requires extra "slack"
f.underground feeders are particulairly suceptable to the heat and cold and require a bit of a "re-tightening"perusal over the years.
the stuff and go sewer piping has landed in the form of toilet flange wax ring so far. the complete piping system i havent seen...i have seen the pvc with o rings however buh as i use A>B>S> for dwv i have no interest in the product. i can pretty much wave a stick around in the air (two foot level) and determine what pieces will fitt in a layout the other system id have to "learn" and the fittings may not all be available which would further ruin my day sort to speak...:) hope all that helps. Your buddy from Bermuda Living in the frozen Wastelands of Alaska:)

hr

Another problem

with residential gauge aluminum wiring # 14 and #12, used for 15 and 20 amp circuit wiring.

The conductors tend to snap off if you tighten the wire nuts ever so much. The conductors would also break easily when nicked by the wire strippers.

Need to use the Nolock when you make up the connection at breaker panels to prevent corrosion and allow a better connection.

hot rod

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