Tray cable constructions and listings
Tray cable groups insulated conductors inside an overall jacket for power or control circuits. Type TC is electrical power and control tray cable covered by UL 1277. NEC Article 336 addresses its installation. The letters TC-ER identify an exposed-run listing for permitted installations under that article. They do not make the cable suitable for every open wiring route.
Control constructions can have 3, 4, 7, 12, 19 or 37 conductors, among other counts. The conductor count is separate from the AWG size. Similar outer jackets can hide different assemblies, so identify the complete construction before grouping reels.
| Cable or marking | Common construction | Details that distinguish the reel |
|---|---|---|
| Type TC control cable | Multiple copper conductors with PVC insulation and nylon covering, inside a PVC jacket | AWG size, conductor count, identification scheme and actual TC listing |
| TC-ER control cable | Similar multi-conductor construction, with an exposed-run listing | Confirm ER on the cable or product documentation; appearance alone does not establish it |
| TC-ER power cable with XHHW-2 conductors | Stranded conductors with cross-linked polyethylene insulation and an overall jacket, often PVC | Voltage, phase-conductor sizes and any separate grounding conductor |
| Shielded tray cable | Multi-conductor or paired construction with shielding beneath the jacket | Overall versus individual shields, drain wires and the exact cable listing |
Shielding is an option, not a feature of every TC reel. Smaller shielded pairs may instead carry instrumentation or power-limited listings. Keep those details with your control and instrumentation cable inventory. Our wire and cable buying categories cover those related products too.
Sizes, conductor metals and voltage ratings
We buy copper and aluminum surplus tray cable within our overall 14 AWG to 1000 kcmil buying range. Not every size, metal and conductor-count combination is a standard tray-cable product. Send the manufacturer part number rather than assuming that a large jacket means large conductors.
Control lots often include 14, 12 and 10 AWG conductors. Power lots can include 8 AWG through 1 AWG cable or 1/0 through 4/0 conductors. Report kcmil sizes exactly when reviewing larger power reels.
We review 600 V and 1000 V tray cable. Use the voltage on the product marking or matching specification, not the voltage of the circuit it was purchased for. Temperature ratings also belong to the specific construction. Southwire's referenced XHHW-2 power cable and Belden's referenced control cable are rated 90°C wet and dry. Do not apply that rating to an unidentified reel.
Read the jacket print and reel tag together
Photograph one complete repeat of the jacket legend. If it wraps around the cable, take overlapping views. These fields may appear on the jacket, reel tag or matching specification:
- Manufacturer and part number: The tag helps locate the exact construction and its options.
- Type letters: Record TC, TC-ER and any additional suffixes exactly. Do not add ER because the cable was ordered for a tray.
- Size and conductor count: Look for AWG or kcmil and a count such as 3/C. Record a separately listed ground and its size.
- Conductor metal: Distinguish copper from aluminum and note bare or tinned copper when specified. A silver-colored conductor end is not enough to decide.
- Voltage and temperature: Keep both ratings, including separate wet and dry ratings if shown.
- Listing and exposure markings: Capture the UL listing mark, sunlight-resistance wording and direct-burial wording when present.
- Footage and manufacturing information: Include sequential length marks, date codes, lot numbers and reel identifiers where available.
A tag describes the cable originally supplied on that reel. Check that it agrees with the jacket, especially if cable has been moved to another reel. A three-conductor power assembly plus a ground is not the same inventory description as four equal-size insulated conductors. The reel tag and jacket-print guide explains how to keep these fields together.
Photos that make a tray-cable lot identifiable
Send a readable tag photo and a close view of the jacket lettering for each distinct construction. Add a whole-reel photo showing the remaining cable and both reel flanges. Include one wide view of the lot so matching reels can be counted.
If an end is already exposed, photograph the conductor bundle without cutting back more jacket. Show the ground, conductor colors or numbers, and visible shield or drain wire. Do not unwind a heavy reel just to show an inner end.
For partial reels, give footage per continuous piece. Use accessible length marks at both ends when available, or label the footage as estimated. The original tag footage is not the amount remaining after a pull. Attach an inventory list that pairs each reel identifier with its photos, listing, size, count and length when you request a written offer.
What helps or hurts the offer
Long, continuous lengths and matching reels help because a buyer can plan complete cable runs. For tray cable, the match includes conductor count, ground arrangement, insulation, voltage and shielding, not just gauge. Two reels labeled 14 AWG can serve different circuits.
Readable specifications, original tags and protected packaging reduce uncertainty. Tell us the manufacture date and how the reels were stored. Photograph any cracked jacket, flattened cable, damaged flange or loose winding. Unused cable can still deteriorate during outdoor storage. Tell us about sun and water exposure.
Short separate pieces limit installation options. Missing tags or uncertain footage can also limit an offer. A specialty multi-conductor construction may have fewer matching applications than a common power assembly. Current demand, brand, condition and conductor markets affect the review. We buy new, leftover and used tray cable, including cut lengths and mixed lots. Send photos and we will make an offer.
Where Arizona projects can leave unused tray cable
Tray-cable leftovers can follow revised equipment layouts, shorter control routes and canceled pulls. We buy both closeout reels and used cable from equipment replacement.
For semiconductor and advanced manufacturing projects, the relevant lots can include unused control runs and power assemblies ordered for fixed equipment. Intel describes building two chip factories and modernizing an existing fab at its Ocotillo campus in Chandler. On work of that kind, a route change can leave a partial reel with useful length but a very specific conductor count.
Solar and battery-storage project closeouts can also include power and control cable for balance-of-plant equipment. SRP announced completion of the Eleven Mile Solar System near Coolidge in Pinal County, with both solar generation and battery storage. These project examples explain relevant electrical work, not a claim that either owner sells cable to us.
Keep tray assemblies distinct from PV wire and shielded VFD motor cable in a mixed project lot. Similar-looking jackets do not make them interchangeable.
Mistakes to avoid before selling
Do not combine footage from separate pieces and present it as one continuous run. Keep each reel's tag attached, and do not cut cable into smaller coils to make counting easier.
Do not assume TC-ER also means sunlight resistant or suitable for direct burial. Record each marking separately. Likewise, a cable's presence in a tray does not prove a Type TC listing. Preserve the actual jacket wording rather than rewriting the inventory from memory.
Finally, we confirm who is selling and keep simple paperwork with each purchase. An invoice, purchase order, job closeout record or company letter helps with this step. Include the name of the person releasing the material, such as an owner or project manager authorized to sell it. We pick up anywhere in Arizona. Include the lot's location when sending its cable details.