There are many different types of specialty electrical wire and cable, such as DLO cable, submersible pump cable, marine grade cable, solar panel cable, and many others.
Another one of these, commonly encountered in building and construction, is quadruplex wire, a type of wire commonly used for power service entry and made of aluminum.
Here’s what you should know about it.
What It’s Used for
Quadruplex wire is a type of specialty electrical cable that is most commonly used for power service entry to buildings. It can be suspended aerially but sometimes it is run through ducts to a building.
It is often used as a service drop from a transformer, as the cable that services the building, but it can also be used underground for secondary distribution, assuming it is rated appropriately for that application.
It consists of three live conductors and generally transmits three phase power. The fourth cable is a messenger cable. The three live conductors are most often made from aluminum and the messenger cable is often made from steel.
The purpose of the messenger cable is to provide structural support for the quadruplex wire. The influence of gravity over time, as well as ice and wind loading, can cause sagging; the stronger, less ductile messenger cable helps prevent this.
The Many Other Names of Quadruplex Wire
Quadruplex wire has many other names; some of these include overhead service drop wire or cable, 3 phase power cable or simply 3 phase cable, and overhead service entrance cable.
Why Is It Commonly Made of Aluminum?
While aluminum has many potential advantages over copper wire, the real reason that quadruplex wire is made from aluminum is simply the cost. With the cost of copper skyrocketing in recent years, quadruplex wire can be made and used at a small fraction of the cost that would be required for copper. This has a significant impact on the cost of construction.
With that said, there are many other considerable advantages associated with the use of aluminum instead of copper wire or cable.
While copper technically has better conductivity, aluminum has a better conductivity to weight ratio, which helps level the field slightly. Like copper, aluminum is also fairly malleable and ductile. Aluminum is also potentially more corrosion resistant, though by no means immune to corrosion.
That being said, copper is stronger and tolerates repeat stresses better than aluminum does, which makes it potentially better for drawing through conduit, and for some other applications.
Regardless, price is the real reason that quadruplex wire is made from aluminum and not copper.
How Is It Insulated?
Quadruplex wire is commonly insulated with a special type of PE (polyethylene) jacket material called XLP or XLPE, which stands for “cross-linked polyethylene.” This type of polyethylene is more durable and more stable than standard PE, making it better for use outdoors as well as in other environments in which quadruplex wire is typically installed.
Where to Get Quadruplex Wire
Want to learn more about quadruplex wire, or are you simply here because you need to find a new wholesale electrical wire supplier to outfit your business with what you need?
Visit EWCS Wire. Their website has a whole range of consultative resources and they carry a wide range of very high-quality electrical wire and cable, much of it specialized. In addition to quadruplex wire, they also carry triplex wire and other aluminum wire, along with building wire and other specialty electrical wire and cable. Visit their website or get in touch with their team for more information.
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