Very Interesting read. I attended a class a while back where the presenter was a rep from an aluminum manufacturer and he stated that anti-oxidant compounds are no longer required for the terminations of aluminum. Can any one out there shed some light on this topic?

I have a paper from Mcgill that states that you don't need to brush or use penatrox on al conductors. only if it is in the connector. That was form the maufacturer. Any thoughts

I have been in the trade for 45 years and have seen AL come and go. As a contractor we have used AL very successfully. We just finished a project with several 200 and 400 amp circuits and AL won on price .With proper handling methods and termination practice I see no problem with AL

Hi, I remember so vividly when aluminum conductors were "all the rage"and became the conductor of choice. Penetrox was everywhere. Unfortunately, aluminum was utilized in some residential installations where the correct techniques weren't mastered in time. Once we obtained the proper tooling, lugs and sleeves, the installations became much more reliable. Unfortunately, as the years went by, some problems arose and many of us were on buss tightening assignments or re-connecting with cu/al sleeves during off-hour shut-downs. The aluminum of today is not the aluminum of "yesteryear". It is safer, lighter to work with and reliable Thanks.

The materials and devices for repairing aluminum branch circuit conductors and device is very limited. The cost of repair is high if you consider the entire home is constructed with aluminum. How do the modern replacement CO/ALR devices stand up?

The paper I just read was touting the good points of aluminum conductor vs copper conductor. Can you give any general guidelines as to the use of copper with aluminum(especially in the same terminations) and if this is an accepted practice and under what conditions(use of inhibitor, what type of terminations, indoor and/or outdoor, etc)?

Thirty eight years ago I was told by an 'old timer' that aluminum was good for two things. Buying and carrying.

The article is interesting but I still would not put it inside a building of any type. It's fine for outside work, if properly installed and terminated.

Great Article!

I have been using aluminium for years with no trouble.