Anti oxidizing for AL wire?

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ritelec

Senior Member
Location
Jersey
Is installing nolox, peterox, anti oxidizing compound to aluminum conductors code?

I'm not finding anything but , maybe a manufactures directions thing??
 

MasterTheNEC

CEO and President of Electrical Code Academy, Inc.
Location
McKinney, Texas
Occupation
CEO
Manufacturer's thing. Last time I checked with Southwire, it was recommended, not mandatory.
We also recommend it as well but it is not a code requirement....until you actually use it and then it has to the the type specifically for the conductor material you are intending to use it on and it can't have any negative effects on the conductor by its use...which it wont if the proper inhibitor is used.

There are however some manufacturers that do make a statement in their legends that demand it as part of their instructions, most notably on some disconnects and so on...but not on panelboard lugs and so on.
 

PetrosA

Senior Member
Do you need a code? Connections for aluminium need anti-oxidant.

You do (or rather, the inspector does) if the manufacturer's instructions don't require it and the inspector decides to fail your installation because he doesn't see any ;)

That said, I do typically apply it both for conductor to terminal connections as well as breaker to stab connections on panels with AL busses.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Do you need a code? Connections for aluminium need anti-oxidant.

In your opinion.

Not really required or needed with the newer AL alloys being used.


Also when I do see it used it is never installed per the manufacturers directions which makes it worthless yet it still makes a mess out of the connections.
 

junkhound

Senior Member
Location
Renton, WA
Occupation
EE, power electronics specialty
Many pocos will not connect to the meter box if there is not anti-oxidant on load side connections that use SEC Al wire.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Many pocos will not connect to the meter box if there is not anti-oxidant on load side connections that use SEC Al wire.

Many power companies have very strange habits.

From not grounding light poles to not allowing or requireing a ground rod connection at a meter.

I will not base my views on power company traditions. :)
 

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
In your opinion.

Not really required or needed with the newer AL alloys being used.


Also when I do see it used it is never installed per the manufacturers directions which makes it worthless yet it still makes a mess out of the connections.

it comes inside of al9cu hypress fittings, with a plastic cap to keep
goo inside, and dirt outside. they must think it's important. seems
to be more of a waterproofing grease than an antioxidant.

i'm guessing here, but if you keep the moisture out, a swaged fitting
doesn't really have oxidatiion issues.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
it comes inside of al9cu hypress fittings, with a plastic cap to keep
goo inside, and dirt outside. they must think it's important.

Well I certainly don't scoop it out of the fitting :D and I do keep some in my truck to use if I feel the need.

I just think considering the sloppy way I see it used it has become more voodoo than science. :p
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
it comes inside of al9cu hypress fittings, with a plastic cap to keep
goo inside, and dirt outside. they must think it's important. seems
to be more of a waterproofing grease than an antioxidant.

i'm guessing here, but if you keep the moisture out, a swaged fitting
doesn't really have oxidatiion issues.
Those fittings are commonly used on POCO overhead conductors. Is possible many of those conductors POCO's typically are using are not the same alloys that NEC requires us to use that do not require any antioxidant.
 

Tony S

Senior Member
Many moons ago I kept get strange problems with a MCC panel. For operational reasons I had to swap its feed over to the backup, the problems went away?

It would be logical to assume the problem lay with incoming. The next shut down all the backs came off the panels so I could have a look. Where the busbar risers from the incoming switch connected to the horizontal busbars the joints were badly corroded. The risers were copper, the horizontals aluminium. Obviously no antioxidant had been used when the panel was built in the 60?s.

It took a while to repair the damage a smear of paste would have prevented.

I don?t know why it hadn?t gone up in a cloud of smoke. With 1200A 433V feeds it would have been quite a loud bang.

For the LV side of transformers we used aluminium singles. The crimp connectors came in sealed bags with the paste already applied, no excuse for not using it.
 

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
Those fittings are commonly used on POCO overhead conductors. Is possible many of those conductors POCO's typically are using are not the same alloys that NEC requires us to use that do not require any antioxidant.

these are generic ilsco AL9CU listed fittings. for inside wiring, not overhead.

i've done hypress on overhead aluminum, and the dies, lugs, butt splices
and whatnot are a lot different...

not to mention the size.... not a lot of demand for lugs for 3" aluminum wire.
and the burndy press is larger than normal as well. a 60 ton press. fragile,
as well. drop one 50' out of a bucket onto a concrete driveway, and it just
isn't the same afterwards.... when they dropped it out of the bucket, i was the
ground man.
 
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