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HELP - Electrical / Wiring with new build of home

Hello and thank you for reading this.

As some of you know, I am in the process of building a new home, with a dedicated audio room, 5 dedicated 20A circuits, etc., and other features to hopefully help the system sound its best for many years to come.

While walking the house this evening, I noticed the large "umbilical" coming from the breaker box, running through the basement rafters out to the garage (I assume to be connected to the meter outside) appeared to be aluminum. The electrical drop must have been a good 2" or perhaps even 3" in diameter, with 4 distinct stranded wires inside. Again- all appeared to be aluminum.

I have done some forum searches, and didn't find much, but am quite sure I have been told to make sure it is all copper and NO aluminum. I have already shot off an email to the builder, but I will need help and/or "ammunition" as to why the aluminum is "unacceptable" and why it needs to be copper.

Please correct me if I am incorrect and the aluminum is fine. Please also give me all the info I need to get the copper if the aluminum is not good.

Thank you for all the help in advance!
audiofankj
Post removed 
stehno
1,453 posts
 
Of course you need to verify your particular installation with an expert on your particular home.

However, to the best of my knowledge it is very common, normal, acceptable, and of no concern for a home's wiring to be aluminum from the service panel to the meter to the pole.

The BIG safety concern is the internal wiring within the home (from the service panel to the junction boxes and outlets and switches).

Many of these homes internally wired with aluminum throughout have already been retrofitted with copper wiring so it is actually unusual to stumble across a home with 'aluminum' wiring these days.

I found out this tidbit when we purchase a home built in 1960 where the owner listed the wiring as aluminum. It turns out he was specifying the wiring from the pole to the house but I still had the inspector thoroughly check the internal wiring and did a little research myself.

-IMO
jeff_jones
418 posts
 
Tin plated copper looks like aluminum & is sometimes used, fwiw.
Anyway, aluminum wire at the service entrance to my house, that was landed on properly designed terminals, would not bother me in the least. The small gauge stuff, and connection to terminals that will not allow for creep or are not of the proper material (corrision) is where the cheese gets binding,
If you want to pay extra for copper the builders should give you that option, imo.
audiofankj OP
373 posts
 
Here is the reply from the builder this morning:

"all wiring in the home is copper except the feed from the panel to the breaker box which is aluminum I personally have never done a copper service line because of price I will get you a price for this a.s.a.p. aluminum is our standard included with the house. as for the feed from the street to the outside panel sawnee has a standard service cable which they run aluminum. I am not sure if they will up grade or not."

Please advise if this feed from the panel to the meter is acceptable in aluminum... also, will it affect sonics?

Thanks again
timrhu
2,779 posts
 
Great post! I'm looking to have a home built and was planning on dedicated circuits for audio. One prospective builder had no problem. This is valuable info.
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