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10/2 copper clad aluminum

GeorgeB

GeorgeB

ElectroHydraulics engineer (retired)
Location
Greenville SC
Occupation
Retired
wwhitney said:
Why, isn't modern electrical aluminum alloy more flexible than copper? Seems like that would make it easier to work with.
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I'd expect that current capacity for current capacity that would not be true; #10CCA vs #12Cu. Same size, I'd expect it to be true. That is definitely true for stiffness before deformation with stiffness (deflection) being a diameter cubed relationship.
 
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letgomywago

Senior Member
Location
Washington state and Oregon coast
Occupation
residential electrician
GeorgeB said:
I'd expect that current capacity for current capacity that would not be true; #10CCA vs #12Cu. Same size, I'd expect it to be true. That is definitely true for stiffness before deformation with stiffness (deflection) being a diameter cubed relationship.
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It's 25a at the 60° so bundling would be helped a bit in thus situation.
 
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letgomywago

Senior Member
Location
Washington state and Oregon coast
Occupation
residential electrician
So 10awg cca at 50% ampacity let's you do 17.5 Amps so that covers alot of bundling especially at home runs. If you're going to do like some long home runs in a crazy house that didn't let you do a subpanel this is something you could use to your advantage. Again its and oddball situation but atleast in the event you're working from that point of view it's helpful. Now the real nice point is 12awg cca is starting at 25 and that means you can bundle up to 20 ccc and still have your 12.5 amps of dedicated circuits on the 15 amp breaker. That's kind of nice if you have some crazy situations.

Like I said the kicker would be the 14 awg cca at 10 amps since you'd have crazy bundling allowed and it would hit all these recessed lights well. But only if they can change the listing on the current products but I'd jump on it since most the jobs I'm at want 20a circuits for receptacles and don't care about the led lighting which cca is perfect for. I could cover all the lighting in a mcmansion with 3 10a circuits and have a nice easy make up and make bank but the 12 and 10 awg I think only makes sense if doing feed through on 4 squares which in itself is nice or do only home runs that way.

Like the emt post we had there's always people for and against what is considered an inferior product but I think having specialized focused products just gives us more latitude for our end result and allows a better end product.

Things like this always begs the question. Should we? And the other question. Is this better in the end?
 
J

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
Bad enough with receptacles, generally 1 cable in, 1 out. Imagine using it for lights, say a 4 gang switch box. If anything goes wrong at all, the GC will put it off on you regardless. Stick to your guns and use what you know to be right.
 
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letgomywago

Senior Member
Location
Washington state and Oregon coast
Occupation
residential electrician
jmellc said:
Bad enough with receptacles, generally 1 cable in, 1 out. Imagine using it for lights, say a 4 gang switch box. If anything goes wrong at all, the GC will put it off on you regardless. Stick to your guns and use what you know to be right.
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You'd use for after first switch leg. Daisy chaining is where the bulk of the wire is used then HRs
 
don_resqcapt19

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
letgomywago said:
So 10awg cca at 50% ampacity let's you do 17.5 Amps so that covers alot of bundling especially at home runs. If you're going to do like some long home runs in a crazy house that didn't let you do a subpanel this is something you could use to your advantage. Again its and oddball situation but atleast in the event you're working from that point of view it's helpful. Now the real nice point is 12awg cca is starting at 25 and that means you can bundle up to 20 ccc and still have your 12.5 amps of dedicated circuits on the 15 amp breaker. That's kind of nice if you have some crazy situations.

Like I said the kicker would be the 14 awg cca at 10 amps since you'd have crazy bundling allowed and it would hit all these recessed lights well. But only if they can change the listing on the current products but I'd jump on it since most the jobs I'm at want 20a circuits for receptacles and don't care about the led lighting which cca is perfect for. I could cover all the lighting in a mcmansion with 3 10a circuits and have a nice easy make up and make bank but the 12 and 10 awg I think only makes sense if doing feed through on 4 squares which in itself is nice or do only home runs that way.

Like the emt post we had there's always people for and against what is considered an inferior product but I think having specialized focused products just gives us more latitude for our end result and allows a better end product.

Things like this always begs the question. Should we? And the other question. Is this better in the end?
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As long as you are not supplying multiple receptacles. 240.4(B)(1) Also you have the same starting point with 14 AWG copper.
 
G

garbo

Senior Member
kwired said:
The meth heads that most likely are the ones stealing copper won't pay any attention to the signs
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Years ago on a house that I was almost finished changing over to a triplex apartment. A few of my NM cables were stolen from the basement. Think the only reason they did not take all of the cable they stole the brand new washer & electric dryer and dishwasher. One morning we saw a piper ( term for people that steal copper pipes from houses ) pushing a shopping cart with a 30' aluminum fairly new light pole to the scrape yard. A few years later our city passed a law that scrape yards can no.longer sell knocked over light poles.
 
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letgomywago

Senior Member
Location
Washington state and Oregon coast
Occupation
residential electrician
garbo said:
Years ago on a house that I was almost finished changing over to a triplex apartment. A few of my NM cables were stolen from the basement. Think the only reason they did not take all of the cable they stole the brand new washer & electric dryer and dishwasher. One morning we saw a piper ( term for people that steal copper pipes from houses ) pushing a shopping cart with a 30' aluminum fairly new light pole to the scrape yard. A few years later our city passed a law that scrape yards can no.longer sell knocked over light poles.
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They've been tightening down on the catalytic converters. Still I don't think I should have to give my life story to scrap a 5 gallon bucket of short copper end cuts
 
ptonsparky

ptonsparky

Tom
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
letgomywago said:
They've been tightening down on the catalytic converters. Still I don't think I should have to give my life story to scrap a 5 gallon bucket of short copper end cuts.
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My 80 year old mother in law was fingerprinted at the local scrap yard selling a coffee can of scrap copper pieces. Stuff her husband had tinkered with. She knew and had been friends with the yard owners for decades. Didn't matter.
 
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R

Roger9

Member
Location
Tampa
Occupation
Electrican
jmellc said:
Bad enough with receptacles, generally 1 cable in, 1 out. Imagine using it for lights, say a 4 gang switch box. If anything goes wrong at all, the GC will put it off on you regardless. Stick to your guns and use what you know to be right.
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ptonsparky said:
I can't rap my mind around using #10 for 15 or 20 amp branch circuits. 12 is bad enough to fold back into a box.
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So it’s actually 12 AWG for 15 amp circuits and 10 AWG for 20amp circuits I’m almost positive
 
R

ramsy

Roger Ruhle dba NoFixNoPay
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
ptonsparky said:
My 80 year old mother in law was fingerprinted at the local scrap yard
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10 years ago became the last scrap yard experience for me, after surrendering my SSN to a person behind the counter, who appeared to need it more than me.
 
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