1/0 Welding Wire Vs 1/0 Alumnium Wire

[McIntosh 10+ year member]

when looking at wire size remember even if you have two pieces of wire that are 1/0 the piece that has more strands can handle more amps OUTRIGHT NO EXCEPTIONS. I'm a journeyman electrician so take my word for it.

Not really true. It also has more resistance per foot. Circular mils are the same and unless we're talking REALLY high frequency stuff, the skin effect is negligible. I'm also a Journeyman Electrician who knows better. Welding cable is merely more flexible (necessarily so) and the amount of copper is the same. No difference. Don't take my word for it, look it up. If you're IBEW you should go back to school. If you're not, no wonder.

 

[McIntosh 10+ year member]

he's talking aluminum wire. like house wire.

AFAIK CCA wire is rated just below copper as far as amperage. i think 1/0 copper is 350A and CCA is 250-300A

not 100% though.

1/0 copper 350 amps???? Wow. No wonder there are so many car fires.

 

[smoka 10+ year member]

So to get the same benefit out of 1/0 copper, you need 2/0 CCA?

Pretty much, but companies like knu label the wire based on the amp rating, not the inner wire diameter.

If that 4ga knu below had the same amount of insulation as the one on the right, then it would be pretty close to 2ga size.

Knu CCA 4ga VS regular copper 4ga

 

[McIntosh 10+ year member]

1/0 copper is more like 3/0 aluminum ampacity-wise. Copper cladding doesn't do that much I don't believe (other than corrosion resistance). Its still a copper conductor. Size isn't everything, material is.

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

1/0 copper is more like 3/0 aluminum ampacity-wise. Copper cladding doesn't do that much I don't believe (other than corrosion resistance). Its still a copper conductor. Size isn't everything, material is.

Wow! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

Now I heard it all. Using copper to keep your aluminum from corroding!?!? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

CCA = copper-clad aluminum

OFC = oxygen free copper

OFC > CCA (as shown in the pic comparison above)

i'm thinking he wanted tinned OFC vs CCA //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif

 

[Burp09 10+ year member]

So If 1/0 Cooper Is Not 350 Amps How Many Amps Is It.

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

i think mcintosh talks out his ***...

 

[Burp09 10+ year member]

i think mcintosh talks out his ***...

THANKS.

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

fwiw, thats from http://www.weldingsupply.com

and copper has 2 "p"s and 1 "o" //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

1/0 copper 350 amps???? Wow. No wonder there are so many car fires.

your ***... talk from it much?

 

[TurdFergueson2 5,000+ posts]

i think mcintosh talks out his ***...

I was gonna say the ratings are per 50 feet and I'm not driving a 50 foot car.

 

[loopkiller 10+ year member]

I was gonna say the ratings are per 50 feet and I'm not driving a 50 foot car.

But with it being so flexible, I like to buy extra wire and run it all around the inside of my car to show of how flexible it is, so my install calls for 250ft of 1/0 in my Civic //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

PS My seat is spool of 1/0 //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[jco1385 5,000+ posts]

I was gonna say the ratings are per 50 feet and I'm not driving a 50 foot car.

so then you should be good up to AT LEAST 350a w/ ~20ft of 1/0

 

[Burp09 10+ year member]

fwiw, thats from http://www.weldingsupply.com

and copper has 2 "p"s and 1 "o" //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

THANKS AGAIN.