Aluminum Mobile Home Feeder Cable vs. Aluminum URD Triplex Quadruplex Cable: A Comparison
Mobile Home Feeder Cable and Aluminum URD duplex, triplex, and quadruplex cables are some of the most popular aluminum cables on the market. Judging from their primary applications, they do not have a lot in common, but they can be used interchangeably for many additional uses. However, this creates a lot of confusion in the electrical community because of the complicated rating system of these cables. Read this blog to fully grasp the difference between aluminum mobile home feeder cables and aluminum URD cables.
What Is An Aluminum Mobile Home Feeder Cable?
Aluminum Mobile Home Feeder Wire, or MHF cable, is an aluminum cable with XLPE insulation that is used for permanent wiring in mobile homes where it is mostly used as a service entrance cable. Rated as RHH/ RHW-2/ USE-2, the cable is used for home feeders, electrical panels, and direct burial as long as it falls within the scope of its RHH/ RHW-2/ USE-2 rating.
What Is An URD Cable?
Underground residential distribution wire (URD) is an aluminum wire for underground utility systems where it is installed in ducts or conduits for secondary power distribution. The cable consists of several stranded or compressed strands of aluminum wiring (typically THHN or XHHW). It may be approved for other common applications if it carries an additional rating. Depending on the number of conductors, the cable can be duplex, triplex, or quadruplex. The cable typically also has XLPE insulation.
Common Facts About Aluminum Home Feeder Cable
- MHF cable is recognized for NEC applications and is suitable for direct burial.
- Aluminum Home Feeder cable always has a triple rating of RHH or RHW-2 and USE-2. Because of this, it is allowed to go inside the building. The initial goal of the aluminum home feeder cable is to connect the mobile home's outdoor with the interior panel located in the building.
Common Facts Confusions about Additional Applications of A URD Cable
- URD aluminum cable translates as underground residential distribution cable.
- A URD cable that carries nothing but a URD rating is not permitted for applications indoors. If the cable does not have additional ratings, it is only approved for utility work. In itself, URD cable is not the title recognized by the National Electrical Code for NEC applications.
- However, the cable can be used for various other applications, including home feeders, electrical panels, and direct burial, if they have an additional rating required for this.
- The confusion regarding URD cable stands from the fact that some electricians refer to aluminum cables in general as URD. However, if you wish to use these cables for anything other than utility service, you should always check additional ratings.
- A URD Cable can be triple-rated as RHH RHW-2 and USE-2, but it is not guaranteed.
- An aluminum URD cable is commonly double-rated as XHHW or THHN as it may consist of the individual XHHW or THHN wires brought together. In these cases, the cable should be treated as XHHW or THHN.
- Even though it is an underground cable, a URD cable is not approved by the National Electrical Code for direct burial applications. To be buried, a URD cable has to be double-rated as USE-2. Aluminum USE-2 cable is a common alternative to copper when it comes to direct burial. It is safe, effective, and helps make an electrical project less expensive.
- Generally, aluminum URD cable is cheaper than aluminum mobile home feeder cable, but its prices may vary significantly depending on the additional ratings. If the URD cable has the required rating, it can be an excellent cheap solution for an electrical project. Moreover, there is also one electrical cable that is very easy to pull.
- Depending on the store or the area, URD and mobile feeder home cables can both be cheaper than single-conductor aluminum XHHW cables.
URD vs. MHF: A Summary
In terms of the structure, the difference between URD and MHF cables is that a standard URD only has a neutral wire, whereas MHF has both a neutral and a ground wire.
The bottom line is that both mobile feeder and URD can be used for many common aluminum cable applications. Still, you are likely to have better luck with mobile feeder because it automatically carries RHH/ RHW-2/ USE-2 and direct burial ratings, which is only optional for URD, which is only a utility wire when it does not have extra ratings.
Because of its versatility, aluminum Mobile Home Feeder Cable is considered a cheap alternative for many common electrical applications. For high-quality URD and MHF cables for prices no one can beat, visit Nassau National cable. For years, these two cables have been the most popular products in our store, with thousands of satisfied customers. Our URD cables are rated for direct burial.
