FAKE COPPER cable test using a lighter - see the difference.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- This cable feels odd - how can you tell for sure you've got a cooper cable or an aluminium cable coated to look like copper.
Remember your school science lessons - copper burns with a green flame.
This top tip was suggested by eFIXX viewer - Sylvan dB
Check out our full video exploring FAKE and substandard cables - SHOCKING!
• The disturbing facts a...
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🎦 Presented by
Gary Hayers - Editor
Gordon Routledge CEng MIET - Technology Editor eFIXX
#efixx #cables #shorts
You can, of course, get copper-coated aluminium cables. However, the cable featured here was sold a pure copper and found in a dangerous state on a UK construction site. Checkout this video to see more and learn some of the other scams used in the cable industry th-cam.com/video/JvJuqgBasuY/w-d-xo.html
There’s always one ‘Clean Coat’ (my name for construction site office staff and sub contractor boss types lol) looking to cut costs somewhere...
@@stigmartin3072 Clean coat 😂🤣- love it - we'll be using that!
@@efixx feel free buddy haha 😂👍
@@efixx you obviously know why I call them that 😂👍
@@stigmartin3072 yes closely related to the product design who never tries to fit the product they designed.
“To test this you just need a lighter!”
Proceeds to pull out a jet engine in full afterburner mode.
😂😂😂
😂😂👍
There are lighters and there are LIGHTERS. That was the latter 🤣🤣
Crocodile Dundee: “That’s not a lighter, THIS is a lighter!”
Classic line - we even used it in this video - th-cam.com/video/GWq66S2I8UA/w-d-xo.html
That was my thought exactly!
Is that lighter built by Elon Musk?
(Whips out napalm launcher)
Show your age
Me: just testing if the wires are real copper by burning them
Everyone else at the hardware store: 👁👄👁
His lighter looks like the back of a star destroyer engine
It’s a beast!
Pretty sure that lighter is more commonly used for vaping cannabis 🤣
Amazing username lmao
Cigar guys have insane lighters lmao
@@matthewlewis5631 nope not at all, those lighters are for lighting cigars!!
Definitely not for vaping cannabis, that definitely ain’t a dab torch for taking dabs from a dab rig!
I just called you here to fix the toaster...
mans using the after burner of an F-22
I’m SO glad I saw this, I was about to score a few kilos of copper and it might be bunk. Thank you.
But the cheaper stuff burns better
@@51-FS hahahaha
Very true
Only try this AFTER hitting the crack pipe with the lighter first.
My Pop was an A/C service man, I would get small pieces of copper tubing and put it in the fire to make the fire change colors for my kids!
Interesting, so the aluminium cable was definitely coated in copper as there was a flash of green light initially when lighting the fire under it.
Well spotted - an incredibly thin layer!
No shit Sherlock - it's fucking copper in colour, what did you think they coated it with, banana milkshake😂
@@johnnycassell2305 fucking nice man lol
@@johnnycassell2305 are you lonely?
@@memesistolefromifunny9165 probably a little I mean look at his pfp
You can feal the diference by weight. Copper is really heavy:)
Is a kilo of copper heavier than a kilo of aluminium ?
It's simple just don't buy wire from China done.
Solid solution. Better yet, just try not to buy anything from China. Wish that wasn't so difficult to do.
Plenty of people will still use aluminum to save money
Don't buy anything named wire . Stick to cable 😂
Right for copper wire when u get a fire on it the flame become green light try it many times
Works great for telecom cable. People love to sell CCA as 'copper cable'.
Thanks for the video!
Thanks for the comment
Thanks mate. I like these little "did you know" things.
100% chai kneesium
Is there anything in Europe that's not fake or currently being stolen?
People can't defend themselves. So no, everything is being stolen. 🤣
@@hvguy especially when government doesn't want to do anything in real about it
@@fireworm91 go try steal money from a bookies shop , see if they don't care 😂
@@hvguy 3 years later still not had anything stolen from me
You have no ide how useful this is to me.
Awesome. Thank you.
👍
The copper one will weigh more too
good point
Does a kilo of copper weigh more than a kilo of aluminium ?
How are you going to determine the length/amount per weight ? Just measure it or by doing resistance testing and using the book to find the multiplication factor of cable resistance ?
@@christophergallagher3845 the other one is a copper aluminum mix so 1ft of the cca wire and 1 ft of occ wire you'll notice the weight difference right off the bat then after hooking up you'll have better grounds and voltage to whatever you are powering
Great, now they're gonna just manufacture cables with copper tips and aluminium inside 😂
That's already a thing and the term is copper coated aluminum
Ea-Nasir did it again
That's quite the chonker of a lighter..you make it sound like everyone has one...I wish xD
$10 on amazon
Any light will work.
Every stoner has one ...
It curls readily too because it's essentially bimetallic.
And gravity... that is if you believe that gravity exists. I for one definitely believe in gravity, it hurts you even though you can’t see it.
With copper coated aluminum, you can scratch the copper off and see the aluminum with the use of a knife, pliers, or wire strippers. Sometimes it's obvious when you cut through it though because you can see the cross section of the wire and see the aluminum on the inside. Easier with solid wire than stranded wire though.
If that’s a lighter, I think you’ll be missing your eyebrows!
🤣
@Mclovin we use them to smoke meth with here
@@51-FS good for you
@@definitelynotatroll246 you mom showed me that a propane torch works better
It's really annoying when someone decides to do this test on an areas main fiber line to see if it's got copper that they can sell.
Ty for the simple but effective explanation there.
A fairk copper care-ball doesn’t give a green flairm
Didn't know Alan Partridge did wiring
🤣
You could just cut the wire and check the ends. Never had that issue in the US. Aluminum wire shouldn’t be an issue anyways as long as you have the properly overload relays and circuit breakers. Most overload relays allow you to set the amperage so you don’t fry a wire.
Aluminium is the conductive material used on high tension wires used on power pylons. It has a higher conductivity than copper BY WEIGHT. However aluminium is lower by diameter. To get the same current rating, the next size up should be used.
Yr9 flame tests are quite useful in real life
Just look very carefuly at the cut end or scratch the surface a little bit, and the aluminium's silver color should be visible vs. the copper's reddish yellow color
Interesting enough, when mig welding on aluminum, the arc is green ☺
He said to bring out a lighter, but he instead brought a mini flamethrower
Or, you know, strip the very thin plating off to find the aluminum underneath.
Check out this video - we scraped away the copper layer and found a few other tricks that nefarious cable makers use - th-cam.com/video/JvJuqgBasuY/w-d-xo.html
Lighter. No my friend that's what the rest of us call a torch lighter.
Imagine if your health and safety officer came on site and you were doing this 😂
Very handy! I'd been wondering best way to check, although you can usually tell by the way it twists (or doesn't)
Could you take a pocket knife and try to chip a piece off? If it's aluminum it'll be silver underneath and copper will be copper colored?
Yes 👍 - we did that in this video th-cam.com/video/JvJuqgBasuY/w-d-xo.html which explores more fake abs substandard cable issues. A view suggested we try this flame 🔥 method.
@@efixx thanks for the prompt reply!
He got much closer to the second cable with his flame, then he did on the first one
Distance of flame doesn't change the chemistry
This is one of a reason why a appliance stops suddenly, it can also cause short or worst, fire
One hell of a lighter
The bright line spectrum at work
Not bad, not bad at all. I usually try cooking pans with dat lighter
I use it to smelt iron ore.
The glowing in iron and other metals is caused by the carbon inside, aluminium normally is carbon free, so it's weird that it is glowing like that
that’s one hell of a lighter 🔥
Man this guy is a great teacher.
YOU GOTA BOSS LIGHTER!
where did you get it from?
Sourced from Amazon - link is in the description to UK site - but quite a few different versions around - Cheers 🍻
Aluminum wire that looks like copper is CCA copper clad aluminum, you can tell them apart by how much it weighs in your hand or the writing on the sleeve
So maybe these fake copper cables have some different specification? Like: AL - Cu cables or something like that? Because usually we do use Cu or AL cables, but nothing like this one.
Yes you can get copper clad aluminium cables. This cable however was sold as being pure copper 👮♀️- check out this full video to see another cable scam th-cam.com/video/JvJuqgBasuY/w-d-xo.html
You just heated the planet by 0.5 degrees Celsius doing that test
At least in America the jacket/ insulation is printed w exactly what the cable is made of, whether its solid or braided (usually w number of conductors in the braid), amp and volt rating, and insulation rating, all printed on the cable every yard or so.
It’s the same in Europe - however on this cable what’s inside is a lie!
My fake lacoste t shirt has a crocodile on it , it even has a lacoste label inside. Only problem is they spelled it Lactose
Sent This video to my friend / Brother in America
Didn't know Alan Partridge was a sparks
🤣
Nice tip, that will be quite useful.
There is usually some writing on the cable stating its contents. At least here in the Netherlands there is.
I hope he’s not inhaling that burning plastic that’s a sure death sentence
There is copper coated wires, and pure copper wires, it’s not fake copper wire, it all has to do with your application, Boats need copper coated because it’s in a wet environment which helps lower conductivity so you don’t have electrolysis due to the moist environment, your house or building needs solid copper for the max conductivity and it’s dry controlled environment, and if it’s not dry then you better be looking for mold. Stay in school kids🤙
This wire was sold and labelled as pure copper!
@@efixx in that case, what’s the brand so people know not to buy this companies product due to the fact they are lying about the materials they use to make their “pure copper wire”. Exposing the company is the only way we consumers can assure we are getting the truth with our products, and yes again stay in school kids and also don’t be cheap with buying products. I am not saying you was or are cheap. Hope all is well with the hardships that we all worldwide are experiencing these days.
@@oldsoul5732 No markings with regards to a manufacturer just "made in turkey" - it was sent to us via one of the more reputable cable makers after being found in use on a construction site. We made this longer video looking at the challenges of fake and sub-standard cables. th-cam.com/video/JvJuqgBasuY/w-d-xo.html
It's not fake copper... it's copper clad.
Yes microns thick coating - but sold as pure copper
or "Chopper" from the far east lol :-D
Don’t have to heat them that long aluminum will stay hot much longer so heating them both for only a few seconds and touching them shortly afterwards will tell you all you need to know
"Hit the hyperdrive!"
Holding a lighter directly under as is done here could easily get one burned by dripping metal OR the metal could drip into the lighter and clog the gas ports and destroy the lighter.
People seem more concerned about the lighter
Are you Allen Partridge's Brother or Dad
🤣😀😅
That's a proper coppa cable.
Dude I was SOOOO flipping worried about my wires! Thanks mate!
We had an alarm system fitted way back in 1980, all done with copper cable. Cable is still good and yet more surprisingly so is the alarm. It has had new batteries every so often but other than that it's still good. I've seen many alarms recently done in copper coated aluminium that have developed faults on the cabling after only 4 or 5 years. Some of the cores just crumble in your fingers when trying to remove pir sensors for decoration, rendering the system useless. I've been looking to upgrade the alarm on my house and it's a mine field trying to get hold of decent copper wire and not the cca garbage.
I've had same brush since the 80s , it's had 12 new handles and 23 new heads but other than that it still works like new
I keep seeing ads for that lighter mixed in the middle of Instagram posts. Thought it was another cheap Chinese product being marketed as a quality one (they manufacture good stuff, but low quality crap manufacturers still push out a lot of garbage), so it’s interesting to see it get used outside of an ad and see that it’s actually pretty high quality. Much better flame than from a standard cigarette lighter.
P.S. I remember when not even ten years ago people would deride low quality Chinese manufacturing and products being used everywhere by seemingly every company. Hardly anyone knocks on Chinese manufacturing and products these days. Crazy how much their quality has improved in just a decade.
FYI you need a lighter that beefy for this to work normal lighters would take far to long to melt the aluminum
Why would anyone use a FEHK copper cable is this cheaper or same price as full copper
it was sold as pure copper and found in a dangerous state on a construction site.
Nice torch
not many of us use a cohiba cigar lighter if ya like to point that to start with as a normal lighter will not generate the same heat intensity
Mmmm.... the sweet sweet taste of aluminum oxides. Smells like frosted alzheimers😛🤩🤯🤪
A few houses round here have or had copper clad cables . Installed in the early 70s . Not fake but from well known manufacturers installed during the copper shortage. To the untrained eye it looks like copper but to carry the same load as a normal size cable it had to be half as big again. It even fooled my local scrappy.
I once installed some bell wire that looked like copper . Only when the bells didn’t work properly I discovered it was steel coated in copper . The voltage drop was so bad . My wholesalers was so apologetic they paid me my labour to put it right
How does it feel when the molten copper drips on your fingers?
With that lighter it just goes straight to plasma phase.
As long as it doesn't drip onto that cool lighter
I had no idea this existed. It’s amazing the levels that Chinese industry will stoop to. We’re talking potentially death here. They’ve gone too far.
It's one of many scams in the cable market - you might be interested in the full length version - th-cam.com/video/JvJuqgBasuY/w-d-xo.html
@@efixx 👍 This link is clickable on mobile. Perfect!
It’s a shame they add like quality materials in an electrical cable of some sort. The dangers with this they lack of conductivity with aluminium
Oh no, now i have to start setting fire to cables everywhere on site just to make sure, still o/t for the Fire Bridgade..where did this fraudulent cable come from for us to avoid..?
Maybe another awesome CHINESE product.,🧐
Junk is made everywhere today. The rich get richer and the rest of us get the shaft.
@@ProleDaddy
It's Chinese ffs
@@ProleDaddy its definitely chinese. Very few places scrape and be so brash with ripping off on the scale of Chinese products. Its always most likely Chinese if it's a knock off fake or fraudulent product
@@coldhands2802 Have you noticed that most dimensionally larger plastic items sold in the U.S. are made in the U.S.? Have you also noticed that they're also junk? have you have you noticed that more and more homeless are about? How about the cost of living? Look, everything is cheaply made and planned obsolescence today. There's a reason for that. And that reason is not confidened within an imaginary line. This is all connected.
@@ProleDaddy
No I've never noticed that because it's bullshit. Almost everything is made in China and it's always cheap garbage. Anything made in the US is WAY higher quality. It has to be..
Surely coating ali with copper is more difficult than than having copper alone? 🤔
Money talks - check out price difference of copper vs aluminium
@@efixx ok, i never heard of it, in my country ali normally on large mains 25mm + mains etc
never a tiny cable as corrosion is an issue
Ea-Nasir the Great Entred The Chat 😃
That is one heck of a lighter.
Tim the Toolman Taylor would approve. Arrrrgh.
Is there any non destructive test for fake cable already in an installation? If it gets crushed by a terminal does it show its silver insides?
Only buy cable from proper wholesalers, like Rexel, Denmans; Edmundson, CEF, etc, not Temu, and wish.
Nice video! Thanks for the mention. :)
Thanks for a really useful tip!
Is that a jet afterburner?
No this one's a little lighter
For a long time I have ask myself why in the movie the towering inferno did it burn down so fast . Now I know as they used low cost wire from China to save a few dollars.
Actually I know that copper burns green from watching the videos of a guy in Australia called big stack, as he melts aluminum, brass, and copper.
That's Proper Copper, that is!
Thats why you buy certified. Or UL listed.
Don't forget a magnet for the copper clad steel wire
How do you check without compromising the insulation?
Wow. I actually learned something useful. Thanks.
Green flame from copper when the flame goes green your good to go
Isn't aluminum the better option for conductors though? The only down side is its cost and it's temperature coefficient compared to copper.
aluminium has a higher resistance, so more metal needed to match the performance of copper. this fake cable was sold as copper.
How to detect a fake copper cable. Put some volts through it ... duh
That’s what I was thinking... the resistance is definitely different as will be the bend radius. Also in aviation/aerospace there’s a solution of diluted acids we use on the tip of the wire to check the color change. Wasting all of that wire... smh.
Thanks steve coogan!
Interesting. I didn't even know there was such a thing as fake copper wire.
Or scrape it with a knife reveals the aluminum and also the weight of copper will be greater than the aluminum.