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Aluminum solid conductor?


greyboy39

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Hello, I came across this aluminum wiring labeled Alcan AA-8000 AL type SE style R today in a home with a panel that was updated to 200 amp in 1998. From what i found online 8, 10, and 12 gauage wire with the AA-8000 designation is allowed, but i couldn't clarify as to why. Is this indeed allowed and if so can you clarify as to why? Thanks in advance!

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Hello, I came across this aluminum wiring labeled Alcan AA-8000 AL type SE style R today in a home with a panel that was updated to 200 amp in 1998. From what i found online 8, 10, and 12 gauage wire with the AA-8000 designation is allowed, but i couldn't clarify as to why. Is this indeed allowed and if so can you clarify as to why? Thanks in advance!. . .

The AA8000 series of alloys have proven to be pretty good performers. I find the #8 SE solid-conductor cable used quite often in my area and I can't recall every seeing a problem associated with it.

While #10 and #12 might be allowed in theory, I can't recall having ever seen or heard of any in the wild since the 1970s.

What, exactly, is the question?

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The question was, is this solid conductor aluminum ok for the installation it was used for. I never see the stuff its always stranded if aluminum. Thanks for the answers!

Sure. Solid aluminum #8 is fine these days for any lug or connection that's appropriate for aluminum.

The one place where you should be careful is at electric water heaters. Every one that I've seen has copper pigtails in the wiring box and you shouldn't run aluminum wires into that box. There's usually a warning printed right there on the water heater. So if this cable - or even stranded aluminum cable - runs to a water heater, it should stop in a wiring box and transition to copper before going into the water heater. The transition to copper should, of course, be done with connectors listed for aluminum and copper in combination. Split bolts are usually the most common type.

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