SELL SURPLUS ALUMINUM WIRE AND CABLE
Aluminum carries the same current as copper at a larger size and lower cost, which is why it dominates service and feeder work. We buy surplus aluminum wire and cable in every common building construction across Washington, DC and Maryland.
Aluminum building conductor is made from AA-8000 series alloy, not the early EC grade that gave the metal its reputation decades ago. Modern aluminum appears as XHHW-2, THHN, SER and SEU assemblies and as URD for underground laterals, always sized larger than the copper conductor carrying the same ampacity. Every connection needs a device listed for aluminum, and that requirement shapes what is still usable.
The surplus exists because aluminum is bought for the big conductors and then outsized by the job. A service upgrade is ordered in 4/0 and re-engineered to 350 kcmil, a feeder reel is opened for a run that changes direction, or a shop standardizes on copper below #1/0 and leaves aluminum reels stranded in the rack. It is light for its ampacity but bulky to store, so it stays where it landed.
What we buy
- XHHW-2 aluminum — 600V, 90°C in dry and wet locations, the standard feeder conductor in #6 through 1000 kcmil.
- THHN and THWN-2 aluminum — conduit wiring in #6 and larger, including dual-rated jackets.
- SER and SEU aluminum — three-wire and four-wire service assemblies, plus the two-conductor SEU used for single-phase service drops.
- URD aluminum — direct-burial lateral conductor, single or twisted, usually dual-rated URD/USE-2.
- AA-8000 series alloy — including compact-stranded conductor, which is the current norm above 1/0.
- Feeder sizes — 1/0 through 750 kcmil reels, full or partial, where the footage is tagged or measured.
How to read an aluminum reel
Aluminum is the one wire type where alloy and termination rating matter as much as size. A reel reading 350 kcmil tells you little until you know the alloy and how it was strung:
| Detail | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Alloy | AA-8000 series or AA-8030 print | Only modern alloy is listed for building terminations; older grades narrow the use |
| Rating | XHHW-2, THHN, THWN-2, USE-2 | A wet-location rating widens the jobs the conductor can serve |
| Size | AWG or kcmil, e.g. 4/0 or 500 kcmil | Aluminum is upsized for ampacity, so sizes rarely match a copper reel |
| Stranding | Compact, compressed or concentric | Compact stranding is standard above 1/0 and easier to terminate |
| Assembly | Single conductor, SER, SEU or URD set | A multi-conductor assembly has to match a service layout to be reused |
| Length | Factory tag, counter or a measured remainder | Service reels are bought to a calculated run, not a round number |
Condition and length
Aluminum is softer than copper and less forgiving. A reel dragged across a dock or dropped off a lift usually shows it as a flat spot, and a kink work-hardens the metal at that point and cannot be straightened back into service. The oxide film that forms on the surface is normal and is dealt with at termination, so discoloration alone is not a reason to pass; crushed wraps and abraded insulation are.
- Sealed reels with the alloy and size print still legible
- Partial reels with a tagged remainder above roughly 100 ft
- SER and SEU coils left from a service changeout
- 500 and 750 kcmil feeder reels from an industrial or institutional project
- Mixed lots from a shop that moved to copper
We routinely turn down conductor that is kinked, coiled in a figure eight, or heaped rather than reeled. Reels with no alloy print and no tag are difficult to place and get a cautious review. Bare aluminum scrap in short random lengths is a different material from reusable insulated conductor; keep the two apart in a lot.
What to photograph
- The reel face, square on, so the remaining wrap and the flange size are clear.
- The jacket print, close enough to read alloy, size and temperature rating together.
- The reel tag with the footage, if one is still attached.
- The cut end, showing stranding style and the insulation wall.
- The storage area if several reels are involved, so the lot can be judged together.
Aluminum appears inside several wire families
Aluminum surplus in Washington, DC and Maryland
Maryland supplies the bulk lots. Warehouse projects in Prince George’s and Howard counties over-order feeder for a tenant fit-out that shrinks, Baltimore plants re-conductor a line and release old spare reels, and subdivisions wired in aluminum SER produce coils whenever a service is changed out. Because aluminum is priced on ampacity rather than weight, a well-identified 500 kcmil reel is worth a look even half full.
Frequently asked questions
How can you tell AA-8000 from older aluminum?
The print usually says so, and a reel tag often names the alloy. AA-8000 and AA-8030 are the grades listed for building wire and for terminations marked AL or AL/CU. Conductor with no alloy identification is reviewed as uncertain stock rather than as standard building wire.
Do you buy aluminum SER and SEU coils?
Yes, when the assembly and conductor sizes are readable and the coil has not been crushed. Service cable is bought to a calculated length, so a coil with a known footage and an intact jacket is straightforward to review.
Why is aluminum sized larger than copper?
Aluminum conducts less current per unit of cross-section, so the conductor is upsized to reach the same ampacity. That is why a 4/0 aluminum feeder has a copper equivalent closer to 2/0, and why the size on an aluminum reel should never be compared directly with a copper one.
Is surface oxidation a problem?
Not by itself. Aluminum forms an oxide film immediately, and terminations are designed around it. What we look at is mechanical condition: kinks, flat spots, crushed wraps and abraded insulation, all of which reduce the usable length rather than the metal quality.
Send the details.
We’ll review the reel.
Tell us what you have and where it sits. Photos of the reel, the jacket legend and the tag do more than a paragraph of description.
+1 (614) 715-3047 saleselectricalbuyers@gmail.com- Serving
- Washington, DC and Maryland
- Response
- Most quote requests are reviewed within one business day.
- What to include
- Reel photos, markings, size, footage, condition and loading access.
- This page
- /wire-types/aluminum-wire-cable/