Moreover, opting for safer and more efficient materials will significantly contribute to risk reduction and mitigation. All these aspects, among others, make aluminum less desirable in residential buildings.Įlectrical malfunctions come after human errors and from the usage of inappropriate wire sizes, materials, and substandard components. It is also malleable but not ductile, and prone to galvanic corrosion because it oxidizes faster than copper. Looking on the negative side, aluminum wires are inefficient in conducting electricity. It is also lightweight, making it much lighter compared to copper. If you decided to use aluminum wire for your 100 amp sub panel, you should therefore use 2 AWG aluminum wires to avoid malfunctions such as short circuits that may cause electrical damage to your components.Īluminum wires are way cheaper than copper wires because of the material’s abundance and disadvantages compared to copper wires. Copper wire is also costlier than aluminum wires, giving it a prominent disadvantage economically. One drawback of choosing copper wire instead of aluminum wire is that copper wire is somehow heavier than aluminum when using the same volume. It also expands less at high temperatures compared to aluminum. Special wirings and critical components are loaded with silver wires because of the material’s high conductive property.Īnother factor why you should consider choosing copper wire instead of aluminum wire is that copper wire possesses high tensile strength - meaning it has much higher resistance and protection against breakage. Silver wire is a better choice in electrical conductivity than copper, but it is not widely used in houses and other buildings or infrastructures due to its disadvantages in other properties, such as a lower melting point compared to copper and a higher cost than any other usual conductors we are using.Īlthough silver is not that feasible in homes, its use was widely accepted when it comes to technology. Its stability and effectiveness in conducting electricity cannot be closely compared to aluminum wires or any other material, giving copper the best output when talking about efficiency in power, next to silver.

Copper WireĬopper wires are extensively used in modern houses and infrastructures due to the wire’s great conductibility and stability. This may help you decide what to choose for your sub-panel installation and also provide additional information that you may use for future electrical servicing. Sacrificing a little bit of efficiency for the purpose of economical gain may be a tough call but a worthy shot.įor the purpose of comparison, here are the characteristics of copper and aluminum wires.

copper wire vs aluminum wireĭue to abundance, the use of aluminum wire, although less conductive, is widely accepted because it offers a cheaper cost, unlike copper wire. Bigger infrastructures, including electrical posts, use aluminum wires instead of copper.Īside from fire safety, infrastructure owners also take into consideration the economical aspect when choosing the right type of materials for their wiring system. Most houses use copper wires for wiring installations, including sub-panels and other electrical components. Most manufacturers put labels on wire coatings or insulation indicating the material’s type and gauge.

Choosing the Right Wireĭepending on your preference, you may choose wires that you think will suit your project with respect to safety and fire hazard. Read more: Ideal Wire Size for a 60 Amp Sub Panel. Knowing this aspect or property of wire can save you or your appliances from electrical damage, especially short circuits or even fire.

The smaller the number, the thicker the wire will be and vice versa.īy that, we can say that the thicker the wire, the more amperage a wire can support and deliver. Gauge simply describes the thickness of the wire through numbers. Many newbies or students without experience or advanced knowledge may miss these easily and cause serious damage to appliances and or components.Īmerican Wire Gauge (AWG) is the standard when measuring wire sizes. The size of the wire you will use will also differ depending on what particular electrical installation or servicing you will be doing.īefore reading wire sizes, it is important to know the basic technicalities of electrical installations. For example, you may use a 10 AWG or American Wire Gauge for a 30 amp appliance, and a size 8 AWG for a 45 amp device. Wiring size requirements differ per amp rating of the circuit.

100 amp wire size for sub panel