Which MC construction is on your coil?
MC means metal-clad cable. It combines insulated conductors and a grounding arrangement inside metal armor. The common branch-circuit product has interlocked aluminum or steel armor. Some versions add a nonmetallic outer jacket. Type MC cable is covered by UL 1569, with installation requirements in NEC Article 330.
The full assembly matters, not just the copper inside it. Separate these versions when you inventory your surplus electrical wire and cable.
| Cable family | Construction to identify | Label or listing detail to preserve |
|---|---|---|
| Standard MC | Insulated circuit conductors with an equipment grounding conductor inside armor | Type MC, conductor count, ground size and UL listing |
| MC-AP, also written MCAP | Copper circuit conductors with a full-sized bare aluminum grounding/bonding conductor contacting aluminum armor | All-purpose product name and identification of the armor/bonding combination as a grounding path |
| MC-PCS | Power conductors plus separately grouped control or signal conductors within one armored assembly | MC-PCS designation and both conductor groups, including control insulation type |
| HCF healthcare versions | A healthcare grounding construction, not simply ordinary MC painted green | Exact product designation and grounding details; HCF versions also exist in other armored cable families |
For example, Southwire's MCAP HCF construction adds a green insulated copper grounding conductor to its armor/bonding ground path. Its MC-PCS HCF product combines that arrangement with power and signal conductors. Do not group every healthcare coil under one description.
Sizes, metals and ratings we review
We buy unused copper and aluminum MC cable. Common branch-circuit lots include 14, 12 and 10 AWG, often described as 14/2, 12/2, 12/3 or 10/3. The number after the slash generally describes circuit conductors, not the equipment ground. Check the label before counting a ground as another circuit conductor.
Our 14, 12 and 10 AWG wire page covers smaller conductor sizes. Larger assemblies include 8 AWG through 1 AWG conductors, followed by feeder sizes such as 1/0 through 4/0 and kcmil sizes. We review sizes within our overall 14 AWG to 1000 kcmil range, according to the actual product. Not every MC family comes in every size. Southwire's guide identifies aluminum-alloy MC feeders from 6 AWG through 1000 kcmil.
The common MC products discussed here are rated 600 volts. A label describing 120/208V or 277/480V colors is describing a conductor color arrangement, not necessarily the cable's maximum voltage rating. Record the separate voltage marking.
THHN/THWN and XHHW-2 are common insulation types inside MC. Their temperature markings do not automatically make the complete assembly suitable for wet locations. Preserve any outer-jacket and wet-location designation. For loose single conductors rather than complete MC assemblies, see THHN and THWN-2 wire.
Read the tag, armor markings and any jacket print
Start with the coil wrapper or reel tag. Look for the manufacturer, catalog number, type letters, conductor size and count, conductor metal, grounding details, original length and production or lot code. A date code may need manufacturer interpretation. Copy it exactly rather than guessing the manufacture date.
Photograph any colored stripe, band or armor marking with the tag. These are identification clues, but their meaning varies by product and manufacturer. Southwire identifies its MCAP HCF with green armor. Green coloring alone does not establish the UL cable type or healthcare grounding arrangement.
Many MC coils have no outer plastic jacket to read. Product information can be on a marker or binder tape beneath the armor instead. If tape is already visible at an unused end, photograph it without opening more cable. Jacketed MC may carry the print legend on the outer jacket.
Record the type designation, conductor insulation letters, size, metal, voltage, temperature rating and listing information wherever they appear. Include sequential footage marks if present. Not every product provides every field on its exterior. The reel tag and jacket marking guide explains how to pair the packaging information with the cable itself.
Photos that show what you have
Use photos of your actual material. A catalog picture cannot establish the remaining length or condition of your coil.
- Take a readable close-up of each distinct label, including the part number and original footage.
- Show the whole coil, box or reel, then the full lot so we can see matching quantities.
- Show armor stripes or coloring and any readable jacket print or exposed marker tape.
- Photograph an already exposed end showing conductor count, insulation colors, ground and any control pair. Do not cut a sound coil just for a photo.
- Show flattened armor, corrosion, separated armor turns, jacket cuts or damaged packaging rather than hiding them.
With your offer request, list continuous footage per coil or piece. Distinguish a factory-full coil from one with an estimated remainder. If part of a coil has been cut off, its original label no longer tells us the remaining footage.
What helps or hurts an MC cable offer
Full coils with original labels are easier to identify than loose lengths with no packaging. Partial coils can still qualify when their construction is clear and the remaining cable is long enough to install. Group matching coils by catalog number and list unrelated lengths separately.
Keep MC-PCS separate from ordinary branch-circuit MC. Its control or signal conductors are part of the product, so their size and insulation matter. Southwire's documented MC-PCS HCF construction includes a separately jacketed pair of 16 AWG TFN signal conductors alongside the larger power conductors. Do not describe the entire assembly only as “12 gauge.”
Crushed armor, sharp kinks and opened interlocks can make cable unsuitable for reuse. Damaged insulation, burned cable and wire pulled out of service do not qualify. We also decline material you cannot show you own.
Tell us about water exposure and outdoor storage. Do not assume metal armor protects exposed ends from moisture or makes an unjacketed product weather-rated. Keep tags attached, ends protected and coils supported while the lot is being reviewed. Product demand, conductor metal and remaining footage also affect the written offer.
Arizona jobs that can leave unused MC cable
Lighting and branch-circuit changes can leave MC coils after commercial tenant work, multifamily common-area wiring and facility fit-outs. Healthcare projects may leave HCF versions, while revised lighting-control plans can leave MC-PCS. For electrical contractors with job leftovers, separating these constructions avoids describing a specialized coil as ordinary MC.
Arizona's larger projects provide useful context. Intel describes building two chip factories and modernizing an existing fab at its Ocotillo campus in Chandler. Southland describes the Vantage AZ1 data center campus in Goodyear, with completion scheduled for 2028. Support-space lighting and branch-circuit work within large construction programs are plausible sources of unused MC assemblies when layouts or quantities change.
These project descriptions do not establish that either site has cable available or uses a particular MC product. Sellers handling data-center cable closeouts should identify their actual coils from purchase records and labels. Keep company-owned material separate until someone authorized to sell it approves the release.
Mistakes to avoid before selling
Do not unwind every coil into a pile to count it. Keep separate lengths identified and mark footage as estimated when you cannot verify it. Do not remove armor, binder tape or control conductors to make the cable look simpler.
Avoid calling every metal-covered cable MC or “BX.” AC, MC-AP and other armored constructions have different grounding arrangements. If your tag shows AC, MC-HL or TECK, use the armored cable page rather than guessing a standard MC description.
Do not mix installed cable removed during renovation with unused leftovers. Label the unused lot clearly and retain its invoice, purchase order or closeout paperwork to show ownership.