We Buy Surplus Aluminum Wire and Cable in Ohio
Aluminum is lighter than copper, and it shows up in the heavy feeders, service entrance runs and underground work that copper rarely fills. That means big reels, large sizes and freight that has to be planned. We buy surplus aluminum building wire and cable across Ohio. Tell us the type, size and footage, and send a photo of the legend.
Why Aluminum Sits in the Big Sizes
Aluminum conductors are made from AA-8000 series alloy and need more circular mils than copper to carry the same current, so a comparable run is one or two sizes larger. The trade-off is weight: aluminum is far lighter than copper for the same ampacity, which is why long feeders and service entrance runs are often aluminum. SER and SEU cable are the usual examples, with SEU carrying two insulated conductors and a bare neutral wrapped around them, and SER carrying three insulated conductors plus a ground.
When you list a lot, give the size in kcmil as well as AWG. 4/0 aluminum and 4/0 copper are not interchangeable, and the number stamped on the tag is what we work from. Also note whether the conductors are compact or compressed strand, since that shows up in the print.
Underground: URD, USE-2 and Direct Burial
URD cable is built for underground residential distribution. It is direct burial rated, usually aluminum, and comes as single conductors or as twisted assemblies, with the neutral full size or reduced. USE-2 is underground service entrance cable, also rated for direct burial, and often dual marked RHW-2/USE-2 for wet locations.
Read the jacket print before you describe a reel as URD. The two products share a trench but they are not the same cable, and a buyer will check. Note the conductor count in a twisted assembly, the neutral size, and whether the reels were stored indoors or in a yard through the winter.
What We Need Before We Can Answer
Send the size, conductor count, footage and voltage, plus one photo of the reel tag and one of the jacket legend. Tell us if the cable ends are sealed and whether the reels still have their lagging. Photograph any oxidation or water damage rather than describing it.
Weather matters more with aluminum than with copper. Water sitting in a reel, white oxidation on exposed ends and sun-checked jackets all change how a lot is reviewed. Send those photos up front and we will tell you whether the material is something we can work with.
Quote this material
This form is routed with the category already noted, so the buyer knows what they are looking at before opening the photos.
Full reels, partial reels, coils and cartons are all reviewed. Condition changes the number, not the eligibility.
Quote Aluminum Wire & Cable
Tell us what you have and attach photos of the reels, tags and jacket legends. Fields marked * are required.
Aluminum Wire & Cable questions
Should aluminum be listed separately from copper?
Yes. They are different products with different uses, and mixing them on one inventory line makes a lot harder to review. Keep aluminum on its own line with its own sizes and footage.
How do I tell URD from USE-2?
Read the jacket print. USE-2 is commonly dual marked RHW-2/USE-2, while URD may carry its own marking or none at all. The reel tag is the better source when the print is faint.
Do you buy aluminum in small branch-circuit sizes?
Small aluminum sizes are less common in surplus and less useful to us. Large feeders, service entrance cable and underground cable are the aluminum material we see most often.
Selling aluminum wire & cable?
Send the wire type, footage, condition and photos of the reels and tags. We review it and come back with pricing and pickup logistics.