You may know that aluminum triplex wire is often used for single phase power transmission to homes and businesses from the power grid.

But beyond that, there is a whole world of specificity associated with it that you might not even have realized.

For instance, why is aluminum used instead of copper, when copper offers better conductivity and is used pretty everywhere else inside buildings?

And what (if anything) constitutes the real difference between aerial triplex wire and wire approved for burial?

With those things posited, here are 4 things to know about aluminum triplex wire - and triplex wire in general.

The Main Reason It’s Used Is Cost

You may have heard it said that copper has a higher conductivity than aluminum, which is technically true. Therefore it should follow that less copper could be used to confer higher ampacity than aluminum. This is also technically true, but for an important point: aluminum is much cheaper than copper. In fact, depending on market forces, copper could be 4 times or more expensive than aluminum.

Which means power distribution to buildings would be thousands more if copper were used to construct triplex wire instead of aluminum. Fortunately, the low cost of aluminum has kept prices of triplex wire comparatively competitive, all things considered.

…But It Also Offers Other Advantages Over Copper

Cost is not the only advantage that aluminum triplex wire has over copper, although it might be considered the most impactful one. In fact, aluminum is superior to copper in several other ways that also make it suitable for use as a conductor, specifically in aluminum triplex wire.

Next to cost, we should first consider not only conductivity, in which copper technically has the edge, but conductivity-to-weight. In this respect, aluminum is actually the superior of the two. You could use less aluminum (by weight) to get the same conductive abilities as you’d get with copper.

Then there is weight, objectively, or rather, density. Aluminum is far, far less dense than copper. Consider copper’s specific gravity of 8.8 to 8.9, depending on the alloy. Aluminum is far less dense, with a specific gravity of 2.7, which makes copper more than three times denser - and therefore three times heavier by unit volume.

This makes aluminum more economical to transport as well as to raise - copper cables and wire, being much heavier, incur additional stresses and constraints on the infrastructure used to levy them.

Another advantage of aluminum is that it is far more resistant to corrosion than copper is, so the exposed leg of aluminum triplex wire lasts longer than copper would despite the fact that it is not protected against the elements.

It’s Often Stabilized with a Steel Core

One thing about aluminum triplex wire that you might not have known - specifically, aerial aluminum triplex - is that there is a bare aluminum neutral leg or lead.

But it’s not just aluminum - it has a steel member running through it.

Steel, as you might know, is a terrible conductor compared to good conductors like copper or aluminum, and easily overheats when under high voltage and current loads. Therefore there must be another reason for its inclusion in triplex wire.

That reason is strength. Aluminum is a ductile, malleable, soft metal with a low tensile strength. In fact, when aluminum triplex wires are used for aerial purposes, in the absence of the steel member, the wires will sag to the point that they reach the ground; this can happen in as little as a year.

In areas in which there are high wind loads or snow loads (or both) the sagging will be accelerated. Steel, which is much harder and much stronger than aluminum, is used as a mechanical reinforcement to the structure of the triplex wire, helping to delay, if not entirely prevent, this issue.

Aerial and Underground Triplex Wire Are Quite Different

One of the main differences between aerial and underground cables was iterated in the last section. Since underground cables are not suspended, they don’t need the reinforcement from a steel member. In addition, since they’re installed underground, the neutral leg is not bare, and is protected by insulation.

It’s also more expensive and time consuming, all things considered, to install underground triplex wire.

Here for High-Quality Aluminum Triplex Wire?

If you’re looking for high-quality aluminum triplex wire you’re in the right place. In addition to triplex wire, we also sell quadruplex wire along with a variety of other aluminum wires and other specialty electrical wire and cable, like solar panel cable, welding cable, marine battery cable, submersible pump cable, armored cable, DLO cable, and much more.

Take a look through our collection and if you have questions about product specifications or uses, get in touch with us and we’ll help you out. You can get in touch with us at Sales@EWCSWire.com or at 800-262-1598