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Thanks guys. I would bet that if most looked, the feed to your panel from the meter base would be aluminum. Although, it may not be superior to copper, I honestly can't afford to run copper the 150' to the garage.

I believe the fire issues were partly due to incorrectly sizing the aluminum and copper the same.

Aluminum is not as conductive as copper, so generally speaking if a circuit was to call for a 4 gauge COPPER wire, you would want to use a 2 gauge Aluminum in its place to assure adequate conductivity

Cody, the NEC is clear about what size the conductor should be, based on material, and in general, the inspectors enforced that. Generally, the fires were started by heat at the terminations. If you undersize any wire by 2 gauge numbers, copper or aluminum, it won't get hot enough to start a fire.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

Not that I have ever personally witnessed an aluminum wire fire, I was told/taught (In State of MN certified contractor continuing ed) that excess heat (from undersized wires) also played a roll?

Connections were mentioned as well, but the wire size thing stuck in my mind as much as connections/corrosion.

*disclaimer.. I am a carpenter, and only play an electrician on tv*

doesn't the load placed on the circuit play a roll? Meaning, if a circuit at its limit and has (even slightly) undersized wire, isn't the "potential" there for overheating of that wire to the point of being a fire hazzard?

That is correct, at that point they are connected together...



Yes, in the situation you describe, they are supposed to be separate...


Remember that inside a house "Ground" and "Neutral" aren't the always same thing... A "Ground" wire should never be carring current but a "Neutral" can.


Yes it does.... If there were no metallic connection between the two buildings the NEC would allow you to run only three conductors (two hot and a neutral) between the two buildings and a "ground" wire run to a copper ground rod driven into the ground.... (It would be wired just like the main panel)

I think the reason why the NEC won't allow you to ground to the water line in both places is so there is no way to accidently get current flowing through the water line

Thanks Bobby-S, 2 separate wires it is.

If I could get a deal on copper, is 3 individual pieces of 2 ga. THHN and 1 4 ga. in pvc underground ok to use for the feeders?

It has be at least 75deg C wire not 60deg C. Number 6 will work for the ground.

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1973 RD350, 1979 RD400F, 1984 RZ350, 2014 Suzuki Vstrom 1000
CHRIS AND JEFF ARE THE MEN

The breaker is the current limiter. The NEC specifies wire sizes with plenty of safety factor for that limit. For a 20A circuit, you have to use #12 wire to meet code, but if you run a 20A load on a #14 extension cord, you'll find it might get slightly warm to the touch.

But if there's a fire from aluminum wiring, everything causing heat, even a little, contributed. If some guy installed aluminum wire and didn't use the right connectors and anti-corrosion grease, and used the copper sizing table instead of the one for aluminum, and the inspector was so bad he didn't notice any of this, then there are a lot of contributing causes of the fire.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.