Just realized I was wrong about using aluminum wire for branch circuits

I found a chart in the 2023 NEC handbook showing the failure rate for aluminum terminations is actually 3 times higher than copper under typical residential loads. I always thought it was just a cost thing, but now I see the safety gap. Anyone else switch their stance on a material after seeing hard data?

3 comments

3 Comments

wilson.emma1d ago

Disagree on the aluminum take, honestly. I've wired hundreds of homes with AL branch circuits using the right lugs and torque specs, zero callbacks. That chart @richard_wells59 mentioned likely lumps in old work with the old alloys. The new AA-8000 stuff with no-ox and proper termination is solid if you follow code.

ninasanchez1d ago

Wow, that's a HUGE eye-opener! I had the same "aha" moment with PEX fittings last year after seeing some wild pressure test results.

richard_wells591d ago

Read that same chart last month. Makes you check every old work box you see. @ninasanchez is right, sometimes the data just slaps you in the face. I was always careful with the torque on AL, but a three times higher failure rate isn't something you can just work around. It's a hard stop.