wwhitney
Senior Member
- Location
- Berkeley, CA
- Occupation
- Retired
Presumably it's also lighter for a given ampacity. Not sure how flexibility would compare.
Cheers, Wayne
Copper-Clad Aluminum
- Thread starter AC\DC
- Start date
- Status
Cheers, Wayne
stretch12
Member
- Location
- taxachusetts
For conductors that small? Is it even worth the $? We aren’t talking 400amp plus feeders. Unless you are roughing 100+ homes with led lighting?
ggunn
PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
- Location
- Austin, TX, USA
- Occupation
- Consulting Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
Actually I was asking why clad aluminum with copper at all? It doesn't change the ampacity and by implication it doesn't change the resistance, and it cannot be cheaper than unclad aluminum, so why? What am I missing?
AC\DC
Senior Member
- Location
- Florence,Oregon,Lane
- Occupation
- EC
Yes cost!!! Even though I don’t know the difference yet lol
ggunn
PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
- Location
- Austin, TX, USA
- Occupation
- Consulting Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
I was asking about clad vs unclad aluminum, not clad aluminum vs copper. I could be wrong but I can't imagine that copper clad aluminum could be cheaper than unclad aluminum.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
I believe the copper clad allowed for use on devices that didn't need a co/al label. This is why they used the clad. It gave a copper to copper when terminated so no special devices, wirenuts etc.
AC\DC
Senior Member
- Location
- Florence,Oregon,Lane
- Occupation
- EC
Well I don’t think you can get aluminum in the smaller gauge 14-12-10
I just called for price and a roll of there equivalent to 14 cooper is 92
Not as big as savings as I was thinking.
Though it is a lot lighter and easy on the back
junkhound
Senior Member
- Location
- Renton, WA
- Occupation
- EE, power electronics specialty
Back in the 1960s copper clad was touted as safe as copper for contact resistance. After cost big advantage was no corrosion or arcing at terminals.
There were a few years when all aluminum wire was used in some places, and arcing fires reported.
Copper prices dropped rapidly from late 60's high, someone could look up historical copper prices to be certain of the time scales.
Going just from memory (55 years ago and getting old) 12-2 with 14ga ground was around $15, copper clad aluminum abut $10 for 250 ft roll.
I have a 1968 Sears catalog someplace, perhaps I can find the numbers then if I get ambitious to root thru archives.
edit add - 30 cents to 70 cents from LBJ efforts, 1963 to 1966 - drove use of aluminum.
www.macrotrends.net
There were a few years when all aluminum wire was used in some places, and arcing fires reported.
Copper prices dropped rapidly from late 60's high, someone could look up historical copper prices to be certain of the time scales.
Going just from memory (55 years ago and getting old) 12-2 with 14ga ground was around $15, copper clad aluminum abut $10 for 250 ft roll.
I have a 1968 Sears catalog someplace, perhaps I can find the numbers then if I get ambitious to root thru archives.
edit add - 30 cents to 70 cents from LBJ efforts, 1963 to 1966 - drove use of aluminum.
Copper Prices (1959-2025)
Interactive chart of historical daily COMEX copper prices back to 1971. The price shown is in U.S. Dollars per pound.
www.macrotrends.net
Last edited:
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