Fact: not all electrical wire and cable is made from copper, even though a large majority is, especially general purpose 600 volt wire intended for use as building wire.

This brings up an interesting case: building wire is generally made from copper, which is true, but how does that wire even get its power in the first place?

Generally, from power service entry cable in the form of either quadruplex or triplex wire. This short post will look at 4 interesting facts about one of these, being aluminum triplex wire. 

See if you knew these 4 facts. 

It’s Made from Aluminum

Triplex wire (like quadruplex wire) is typically made from aluminum, which is the reason it is often referred to as aluminum triplex wire. 

Aluminum offers some significant advantages over copper which are material and impact its utility as a conductor. Among these are that aluminum, like copper, is highly malleable, ductile, and flexible. It is also somewhat resistant to corrosion, which makes it suitable for aerial installations as well as burial (depending on the rating). It’s generally insulated anyway. 

Also, while copper offers slightly better conductivity than aluminum, aluminum offers better conductivity to weight, so a smaller mass of aluminum can actually offer the same electrical conductivity properties of copper.

In addition, aluminum is several times less dense than copper, which makes it much lighter. This makes it easier to transport as well as to install and to work with, generally. 

And, even if all this other information wasn’t true, it is the case that aluminium is much, much more affordable than copper. This is the main reason that power service entry cables are commonly made from aluminum. If copper were used, the price of construction and electrification would be much higher than it is. 

It Is Often Supported By a Steel Cross Member

While aluminum triplex wire is lightweight and flexible, it has one big shortcoming in comparison. It has a much lower tensile strength. As a result, it not only fatigues more easily, but it stretches out more readily. 

This becomes a problem for certain aerial installations, especially when the service run is pretty long. Aluminum may be a lightweight metal, but at a certain point, all that mass adds up. 

Consequently, aluminum will sag under its own weight eventually. Even worse, if there is snow, ice, or wind loading, the wire can sag severely in as little as a season. In severe cases, it can sag nearly to the ground. 

As a result, the third wire in “triplex” wire (hence the name) is typically a neutral bare aluminum messenger wire. But that is not the important point. Typically this wire is strengthened with a steel member.

The steel wire in the triplex wire does not carry electricity. Rather, it is a reinforcement to support the weaker aluminum triplex wire not just against gravity, but against snow, ice and wind loading that could cause it to stretch out. 

It’s Used for Power Service Entry

Aluminum triplex wire (like aluminum quadruplex wire) is primarily used for power service entry to homes, though it can also be used in commercial installations. In other words, triplex wire carries electricity from the grid to the home’s panel where it can be distributed to the home and used to power residential appliances, lighting, and other circuits. 

It is often installed aerially, from transformers to service entrances, though it can also be used for URD, or underground residential distribution. While triplex wire is used in both types of installations, it is important that it is properly rated for the given installation. 

Also, triplex wire is commonly insulated with XLPE, or cross-linked polyethylene, which is used for its chemical stability and physical properties, which include resistance to wear and tear. 

It Has Residential and Commercial Applications 

While aluminum triplex wire is commonly used in residential installations because it is much more affordable than and offers better general economy when compared to copper electrical wire and cable, it can also potentially be used for power service entry in some commercial installations. 

In these installations, it offers the same basic benefits mentioned earlier in this article, the most significant of which are cost savings. 

Shop Our Collection of Electrical Wire and Cable 

Whether your company needs a new whole electrical wire supplier or you are specifically looking for aluminum triplex wire (or some other aluminum wire) we have you covered. 

Here at EWCS Wire, we carry a wide range of electrical wire and cable, including specialty options such as aluminum wire (including quadruplex and triplex wire) in addition to DLO cable, submersible pump cable, solar panel cable, marine battery cable, welding cable, bare copper wire, and much more. 

Explore our collection and get in touch with us if you have any questions.