Aluminum triplex in conduit?

[zxcvbob]

Is there any reason not to bury aluminum triplex cable in a rigid nonmetallic conduit? This is out in the country, where I don't care about finer points of the electric code, but it needs to be safe and generally in compliance.

I ran #6 triplex "Periwinkle" cable from my parents' house out to the tool shed a few years ago. It's a 120/240V 40A feeder, and the shed has its own service equipment and grounding electrode. The wires keep getting knocked down by falling branches. Last time was during Ike, and they were running two generators instead of one because of it and almost ran out of gasoline. I'm fixin' to visit them for a few days and was thinking about rerunning the feeder underground. Wha'd'ya think? The ground is sandy and real easy to dig.

(It's also a Federal Pacific panel, and I'd like an excuse to replace it with a Square-D or GE or Siemens. My dad doesn't really wanna replace it, but it's a hazard and I'd be happy to pay the ~$50 for a new panel and breakers.)

Thanks, Bob

[RBM]

I think the insulated conductors would be fine, however the messenger, if you're using it as a ground, or neutral, will disintegrate in a relatively short time, once condensate water gets into the conduit

[John Grabowski]

You'll need four conductors to be in compliance with the 2008 NEC.

[zxcvbob]

Thanks, I didn't think about that (the aluminum strands and the steel strand would fight.)

Bob