Anyone else seeing aluminum on new construction? This was from new townhouse yesterday in Plano. It looked like the dielectric paste was being used. Anything else to advise the clients on?
Branch circuit wiring was copper.
Normal. No worries. Nothing to advise or report on.
Cheaper then copper I guess?
Absolutely. Many areas never moved away from AL. See it all the time.
I have yet to see anything but aluminum in VA
This is the norm around Delaware & Maryland.
I’ve got 100 feet of AL buried from my pole to the house and another 250 out to my Morton building. Once I saw the price of copper, I changed my shorts and bought the AL.
Aluminum SE cable has been the norm around here for at least 20 years maybe longer. Aluminum conductors in raceway maybe the norm in the last 5 years given the price of copper.
Here it is called anti oxident paste. The norm in Ontario for many years.
Way normal for Port St. Lucie, FL.
Just a side note, the antioxidant paste is not required, but is considered a good practice.
But in Texas inspectors must report it as a defect if not present on aluminum conductors.
OP: As mentioned earlier, it’s anti-oxidant, NOT dielectric.
So something that is not a defect still needs to be reported as if it were one because some commission says so? Who was the subject matter expert that wrote that?
Alluminum is the standard up here also.
Unless a Commercial project where most of the time it is 500MCM copper or 250 MCM.
Any particular reason why? As Jim mentioned it’s not required by the NEC.
IIRC this is the same commission that would have an inspector write up the lack of AFCIs in a house built before they were ever thought of. Simply amazing the lack of common sense or oversight.
That’s right Chuck. Haha, I was just using the builder’s words: “dielectric”
As most of you see aluminum around the country on new construction, I don’t here in DFW. Had another new build today that had copper feeding the panel.
John,
Aluminum service entrance conductors are very common … Yes, in Texas and even in our area where we live/inspect.
Not at all unusual. Dunno where you got branded with copper as being prime … could be the HI school you went to??
Unfortunately, it’s true and also unfortunately, they don’t explain why.
Yes. It also happens to be the same commission that decided an inspector SHOULD peel up bonded asphalt shingles to inspect the nailing for compliance to manufacturer standards without causing damage to them. It is also the same commission that has a penalty matrix for fining inspectors who do not fully comply with every nuance of the bloated standard. The same commission that was recently declared independent and now funds itself off of license fees and fines and has started more than doubling many of the fees it charges to licensees.
Yeah. That commission.