Aluminum triplex wire was never particularly uncommon for power service entry to residential buildings, but it is only becoming more common as time goes on.
This is due in part to a number of relative advantages that it has over copper, which will be detailed here.
Copper Is Too Expensive
Probably the main reason that aluminum triplex wire is eclipsing copper is the cost. It was bad to begin with – copper has more or less always been more expensive than aluminum in modern times – but it is getting worse.
The global supply chain is strapping copper not just for electrical uses, but elsewhere in construction, since it is widely used in plumbing. Copper is also heavily used in ammunition and arms manufacturing and, as you might have noticed, there are numerous high-profile, ongoing conflicts.
Using copper for power service entry would add several thousand dollars, even tens of thousands of dollars in some cases, to the cost of construction on a per-unit basis. Using aluminum triplex wire instead is just one way to skirt this potential issue.
Copper Is Too Heavy
Copper is also a lot heavier than aluminum, which makes it more labor intensive to install. It also places quite a burden on infrastructure, as suspending copper (in the case of aerial power service entry) requires special considerations.
This is all not to mention that it is a lot more work and effort, and more time consuming to work with a heavier alloy like copper. Aluminum can be handled with greater facility and economy than copper and that of course is worth something.
There’s another cost factor to consider here, since copper is heavier, it consumes more fuel to get it to a construction site. Aluminum can be transported more economically.
Aluminum Resists the Elements Better
Both aluminum and copper will oxidize when exposed to favorable conditions, but copper hardly lasts a season if it’s exposed and installed outdoors. Aluminum fares much better overall.
This is why there are so many different types of specialty insulation materials to protect copper, and why some specialty conductors, like marine electrical cable, are individually tinned. It’s to protect against corrosive damage.
Aluminum triplex wire can be insulated to protect against damage but even if it isn’t and relies on air as the insulator, under most conditions it’ll fare considerably better than copper, perhaps even copper that is insulated well.
Aluminum Triplex Wire Is Often Strengthened
Aluminum triplex wire often has a unique trick up its sleeve. It is sometimes strengthened with a steel member that is non-conductive but only serves to strengthen the wire.
Copper has better tensile strength than aluminum, that is true. To compensate for that and put them on equal footing, manufacturers often strengthen triplex or quadruplex wire with a steel cable that supports the wire and helps prevent it from sagging or stretching due to gravity, wind, or ice loading.
In either case, that further helps to level the field on which copper and aluminum are competing, tilting the scales further in favor of aluminum as a viable alternative.
Where to Get High Quality Aluminum Triplex Wire
These are some of the main reasons that aluminum triplex wire has been widely used in place of copper, specifically for power service entry, and why it will continue to be widely used in the foreseeable future.
For more information, or to learn more about the unique specifics of aluminum triplex wire or alternatives, visit EWCS Wire. They carry building wire, triplex and quadruplex wire, and a variety of specialty electrical wire and cable for a wide range of applications. Visit their website or get in touch with them directly for more information.
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