Replacing AL wiring

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thais

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Tampa, FL
I have an existing apartment building that is undergoing major renovations. The apartments are about 30 years old and are getting new interiors, HVAC, and electrical. The existing feeders to each unit from the meter center are AL. The feeders are sized properly. The existing electrical panel in the units will remain. What are some good arguments for replacing the AL feeders with CU feeders? I always use CU. If it was a new design, I would specify CU.
 
thais said:
.......What are some good arguments for replacing the AL feeders with CU feeders?
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Given that you have the ampacity, you're not upgrading panels, and (I presume) there's no sign of damage to the existing feeders, I can't think of a single good argument for even touching them, let alone replacing them.
 
thais said:
I have an existing apartment building that is undergoing major renovations. The apartments are about 30 years old and are getting new interiors, HVAC, and electrical. The existing feeders to each unit from the meter center are AL. The feeders are sized properly. The existing electrical panel in the units will remain. What are some good arguments for replacing the AL feeders with CU feeders? I always use CU. If it was a new design, I would specify CU.
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Is this your dollar or the insurance co??
 
There is no reasonable arguement for replacement of aluminium feeders with copper one's. Branch circuits in gauges 10 and smaller, certainly. Feeders, nope.
 
mdshunk said:
....Branch circuits in gauges 10 and smaller, certainly.
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Especially when they look like this:

attic_ugly.jpg


:)
 
Jim W in Tampa said:
They did fine for 30 years,why would you do anything unless your just after the money.It aint broke.Will you require copper to the poco transformer too ?
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That is a point i have made many times when someone says AL is junk.I point to a x fmr or an overhead pole and ask them .What type of wire do you think that is :).Old myths are hard to die I guess.
 
Thanks for the replies. The owner does not want to replace the feeders because of the cost. There doesn't seem to be any reason to replace them. The service feeder to the poco transformer is being replaced with copper, but the capacity is being upgraded. As the engineer, I was asked to verify the capacity on the existing AL feeders. The capacity for the AL feeders to the units is okay, so no need to replace them. Thanks again!
 
With the cost of copper being 4 times the cost of aluminium, it is a pretty easy choice to make. When installed correctly it is the more logical choice.I have seen just as many copper feeders fail from not being installed correctly as AL.
 
ceknight said:
Given that you have the ampacity, you're not upgrading panels, and (I presume) there's no sign of damage to the existing feeders, I can't think of a single good argument for even touching them, let alone replacing them.
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What he said.
 
I would check the terminations, reapply penetrox and leave the f panel feeders alone. As we all know most of the problems with aluminum wire is in the smaller gauges on inappropriate receptacles.
 
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