Is an Aluminum Wiring prohibition along coastal areas justified.

[jaggedben]

I am in the process of updating our city ordinances to adopt the 2015 I Codes and make necessary changes to our amendments. I need an honest fact based answer to the question regarding use of aluminum wiring in areas with corrosive atmospheres. We are on the Texas Gulf Coast and in a Hurricane prone area.

Our current ordinance reads:

(4) Any and all codereferences permitting or requiring aluminum wire shall not be applicable,except when used as an option in underground service to the electric utilitymeter or when all of the following requirements are met: (a) The building consists of at least 3 storiesor 75,000 sq. ft.;
· (b) The building electrical service from theutility provider is480Y/277V, 3 phase, 4 wire;
(c)· The building has a main service of1600 Amps or larger;
(d)· The building Main Service DisconnectingMeans is of Switchboard Construction. (Buildings served with Gutter andDisconnect Switch configurations will not be permitted to use above groundaluminum feeders.);
(e) All aluminum conductors are compression type conductors and use penetroxwith compression termination fittings;
(f)· The electrical contractor providesthe number of lugs and proper lug sizes to accept the larger aluminum conductorsizes required;
(g)· Aluminum feeders are not used toserve chillers, elevators or equipment utilizing variable frequency drives;
(h)· Aluminum conductors are not used onthe secondary side of step down transformers; and
(i)· Aluminumconductors are only to be used on feeders that are 200Amps and larger.

Just my opinion... If you completely simplified this to a simple prohibition on using aluminum for less than 200A, I think that would go a long way towards addressing the potential issue with much less bureaucracy. 200A and higher circuits are more likely to be installed by experienced individuals who will understand how to make proper terminations. Then just enforce following instructions on equipment (a code requirement) when it comes to torque and everything else.

The reason I suggest 200A is that smaller than that you have a much larger chance, in my opinion, of amateurs and hacks using aluminum without proper terminations and that's what would cause issues. Also smaller circuits on many projects would be a much larger number of circuits to have to look at carefully from an enforcement point of view.