Aluminum conductor feeding pool panel

[Jobio]

I installed aluminum quad urd 3-#2, 1-#4 aluminum cable (in pvc) to a pentair pool panel. Pool panel is 350’ away from main service. After installing the wiring, the pool electrical contractor (we are wiring the house and supplying power for the pool) stated he could not use aluminum cabling to feed the panel and pentair wouldn’t allow it. I called pentair

There is a label on the panel stating all field wiring to be copper conductors.

The Pentair panel has copper bus with aluminum lugs.

I called pentair with no explaination


Is it temperature change that they want copper? Why aren’t they using copper lugs?

 

[suemarkp]

NEC 680.25 dictates that the feeder ground must be copper if the conductors are installed in a "corrosive environment". If they are storing chlorine in the room where the panel is, or if the pumps are there, I'd argue it is corrosive (my pool water was when it was "shocked" and if you clean the pump baskets that gets that chlorine water on the ground). This rule used to demand that all pool feeders have copper EGCs, only recently was it changed to apply that limitation only to "corrosive areas". Pentair may have old labeling reflecting that older limitation.

If the feeder is not in a corrosive area, but the panel itself or the lugs are not rated for aluminum, you could terminate the feeder conductors in a splice box and then transition to copper to feed the panel. Just because a lug is silver colored doesn't mean it is aluminum (could be silver or tin plated copper).