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Switched from aluminum to copper for a service upgrade in a 1970s split-level
Honestly, the extra cost upfront was worth it for the long term reliability, especially with the old aluminum branch circuits still in place. Anyone else prefer to just go copper for the main feeders now?
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miakelly6mo ago
Totally agree with that call. The peace of mind alone makes the copper upgrade smart, since those old aluminum branch connections are a known weak spot. It just future-proofs the whole panel, you know? Dealing with a potential failure later would cost way more than the material difference now. Makes the whole system more solid for whatever gets added down the line.
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spencerm465mo ago
Yeah, that melted lug story from @kim188 is the kind of thing that keeps you up at night. It's like choosing between the cheap insurance and the "hope nothing goes wrong" plan. Future-proofing with copper just means you won't be the one explaining a charred panel to a furious homeowner later.
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kim1886mo ago
My old boss always insisted aluminum feeders were fine if you torqued them right. Then we had a call back for a melted main lug on a 15 year old upgrade. Seeing that blackened terminal block changed my view. Now I push for copper on the service drop every time, even if I have to talk the homeowner into it. It just removes that one big variable from the equation.
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