Is Aluminum Wiring Okay To Use

[NDL]

I wanna run a constant, 30amp, circuit, in my Ford Ranger truck - wired to a relay, which will turn the circuit off when my truck is off.

I ordered 10 gauge wire from amazon, and it was supposed to be top of the line copper wire, but it turned out that it has an aluminum core (strand).

I wound up using a bit of the wire for a different project, so I can't return the roll. Is aluminum wire okay? I remember there being overheating in home electrical wiring, hence my distrust of aluminum. Everything else about the wire meets spec; would it be okay to use aluminum core wire on my auto project?

Thank you

 

[WyrTwister]

I would not use it .

 

[Lubener]

There's a reason it is not to be used in branch circuits in your home which is not as harsh environment as your truck.

You might want to "nick" it because there is copper wire which has an outer tin clad to it.Might not be aluminum.

 

[electroken1]

What you have is copper-clad aluminum wire and I would not use it in anything I cared about. Maybe speakers. The resistivity of aluminum is higher than that of copper, so if your wire has the proper conductor diameter for 10 AWG wire then its resistance is higher than 10 AWG copper.

Aluminum is used often in power distribution, where they can use physically larger wire and their concerns are how much it weighs and how much it costs. I'm pretty sure the wire connecting the pole to my house is aluminum.

 

[DriveHard]

It will be just fine. 10 gauge aluminum is rated for 30-35 amps continuous. I would use it without worry.

 

[DriveHard]

What you have is copper-clad aluminum wire and I would not use it in anything I cared about. Maybe speakers. The resistivity of aluminum is higher than that of copper, so if your wire has the proper conductor diameter for 10 AWG wire then its resistance is higher than 10 AWG copper.

Aluminum is used often in power distribution, where they can use physically larger wire and their concerns are how much it weighs and how much it costs. I'm pretty sure the wire connecting the pole to my house is aluminum.

Just the opposite, I will use CCA for normal loads, but NEVER for speakers ;-)

 

[supton]

What is the cost of failure? I would use that as my guide. A speaker wire opening up is probably low in cost.

30A on 10g seems kinda marginal, as in the voltage drop may be high. Not sure what you are running nor if it can tolerate the loss. Could just double up on the wire I guess.

How flexible is this stuff? Speaking of which, I'd be worried about the wire cracking due to vibration over time--it may need to be well supported.

 

[pcoxe]

One of the problems with aluminum wire is that aluminum oxide is an insulator. As the wire ages it oxidizes and increases in resistance, creating heat. Copper oxide is still a conductor so as copper ages, it still conducts and avoids many of the heating issues. Aluminum also expands more than copper when it heats up. When an aluminum connection starts to oxidize and heat up, the metal expands and deforms, and shrinks when it cools creating a loose connection which causes increased heating and oxidation. That's when your mobile home catches on fire. Aluminum wire can be used, but only with special connectors and coatings to control expansion and oxidation.

 

[Kestas]

Exactly. The problem is not conductivity of the bulk metal as much as the conductivity at the terminal ends. Pcoxe hit it on the head.

 

[4WD]

There's a reason it is not to be used in branch circuits in your home which is not as harsh environment as your truck.

You might want to "nick" it because there is copper wire which has an outer tin clad to it.Might not be aluminum.

Like used for MCC’s because it’s flexible … but it’s expensive … and yes the tin is over copper.
Would be great to have a couple pictures

 

[wag123]

I would not run 30 amps through that wire. 15 amps max.
You also need to be concerned with voltage drop on longer wire runs.

 

[JHZR2]

No. In homes, Aluminum is used often from the weatherhead to the meter, and into a panel, even if not used anywhere else in the home. But even in homes, where wiring isnt much used, is frowned upon for the most part.

In a vehicle, the vibration, movement, and likelihood for interface corrosion makes it a no go. Severely derated might make it OK, but Id suspect doing so will make the wire a hassle to handle and install anyway...

 

[NDL]

***

You have *all* been extremely helpful; thank you; I will get something else and rewire what I have done.

One other question:

The body control module on my Ranger went, and I cannot get a new replacement, and the salvage yard is not a reliable source for this part. So I am going into that circuit, rigging it up to a relay, which will turn the power on and off.

My question: I can rewire the power with copper, but off of the relay comes the ground wire, and I already ran the ground wire several feet to the floorpan. Can I get away with an aluminum ground wire, or is that a poor idea as well?

Thanks in advance

 

[supton]

Ground issues tend to be the bane of existence...

I wouldn't. Either it's good enough for the rest, or least of all here.

 

[NDL]

Ground issues tend to be the bane of existence...

I wouldn't. Either it's good enough for the rest, or least of all here.

Good enough...thanks.

***

Have y'all heard of Wire Barn? Supposedly they offer good quality wire?

 

[supton]

Never heard of them. For wire I tend to go to Home Depot, although for short runs I'd look at whatever I could get off Ebay or Amazon.

 

[wag123]

There is a seller on ebay that sells high quality 100% copper wire at good prices. I have purchased from them several times. acdcwireandsupply

 

[Hall]

I remember there being overheating in home electrical wiring...

The root issue there was using wiring devices (switches, outlets, etc) that weren't rated for Al as well as not making proper (tight) connections.

 

[Trav]

There is a seller on ebay that sells high quality 100% copper wire at good prices. I have purchased from them several times. acdcwireandsupply

Thats who I buy all my wire from, no junk from them only made in USA all copper and nice guys to deal with if you have any questions.

 

[nthach]

Airbus uses Al(aluminum, not artificial intelligence) to wire up their airplanes, Toyota is using some aluminum wiring in the Prius and Mirai to save weight and reduce costs. Power distribution is Al, and the TV/data cable coming into your house/building is Cu-clad steel, which has proven its meddle with the cable companies.

the trouble is galvanic corrosion and the natural oxide layer that forms. The latter has been linked to house fires with many post-WWII homes - the oxide layer increases resistance and many fixtures were only rated for Cu/Cu-Al. As long as the connections are clean, tight and measures taken to reduce corrosion are taken I think you should be fine.