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Physical Specifications
Technical Specifications
Usage & Installation:
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It is primarily used as a heavy-duty main feeder line for 150A to 200A subpanels, commercial distribution boards, detached workshops, agricultural facilities, solar arrays, and heavy industrial machinery. Because it features built-in interlocking aluminum armor under a waterproof PVC jacket, it can be laid directly in open trenches or encased in concrete without buying or gluing separate PVC conduit pipe.
Under National Electrical Code (NEC Table 310.16) guidelines, 3/0 aluminum cable is rated for 155 Amps at standard 75°C terminal ratings (135 Amps at 60°C and 175 Amps at 90°C).
Always consult with a licensed electrician or local building inspector to verify the correct cable size and local code requirements for your specific project.
Inside the 3/0-3C layout, you will find three insulated wires colored Black, Red, and White, alongside the bare ground. The Black and Red wires are your "Hot" lines, which connect directly to your two main breaker positions. The White wire is your "Neutral" line, which hooks into the neutral bus bar. The bare wire goes straight to the grounding bar.
Large aluminum wires expand slightly when they heat up under load and contract when they cool down. If a panel screw is just "hand-tightened" with a normal screwdriver, this heat cycling can cause the screw to work itself loose over time. A loose connection causes arcing, sparking, and electrical fires. Codes require a Torque Wrench to tighten the terminal screws to the exact inch-pounds specified by the panel manufacturer, locking the wire perfectly in place.
Standard stranded wire leaves tiny, microscopic air gaps between each circular strand, making the overall wire diameter slightly thicker. Compact Stranding runs the aluminum strands through a specialized machine that compresses them together, flattening the shapes slightly to eliminate those air pockets. This makes the overall conductor thinner and easier to bend without reducing the actual amount of metal or lowering its power capacity.
Wire America supplies an extensive inventory of Direct Burial Aluminum MC cable cut by the foot or on master reels. Most cut-to-length orders are processed and shipped within 24 to 48 hours, delivering directly to your shop or jobsite within 2 to 4 business days once in transit.
We ship orders from the regional distribution hub closest to your jobsite to keep transit times and freight costs as low as possible. Expedited shipping options are also available at checkout.
Working against a tight jobsite or inspection deadline? Call our team directly at 833-268-8644 to request priority processing
Yes, this cable is fully code-approved for crawl spaces, basements, and attics. Even though it is heavily protected for outdoor burial, it transitions beautifully indoors. Its built-in metal armor fulfills the strict safety requirements for exposed indoor wiring, meaning you can secure it directly across floor joists or wall studs without needing to pipe it through separate conduit walls.
Because this cable is wrapped in a plastic PVC jacket, you must use the internal bare aluminum wire as your safety ground. In standard, unjacketed indoor MC cables, the metal armor can sometimes act as a grounding path. However, because this outdoor cable is sealed inside plastic, the armor cannot easily connect to ground fittings at your panel box. Always terminate the internal bare ground wire directly into your ground bus bar.
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