#10 AWG Wire Buyers in Pennsylvania
Ten gauge copper in solid and stranded, from 500 ft spools to partial coils, bought from Pennsylvania contractors and plants.
Number 10 AWG copper measures 0.1019 in across the bare conductor and about 10,380 circular mils in area. In the standard ampacity table it sits in the 30 A class at 60 degrees C, with more allowable current at the 75 and 90 degree columns. That places it just above the 15 and 20 A branch circuits that fill a house and just below the small feeders. It is the smallest size most electricians still stock in quantity in both solid and stranded form.
The leftovers come from spool economics. Number 10 is sold in 500 ft and 1,000 ft spools, and a commercial lighting layout rarely lands on an exact multiple. A job that needs 380 ft leaves 120 ft on the reel, which is too much to throw away and too little to return. Plant maintenance cribs add their own partials, usually in five colors, and contractors pulling 10 AWG for voltage drop leave offcuts nobody tracks.
| Size | 10 AWG, 0.1019 in bare copper diameter, about 10,380 circular mils |
|---|---|
| Ampacity class | 30 A at 60 degrees C, 35 A at 75 degrees C and 40 A at 90 degrees C for copper |
| Construction | Solid or 7-strand copper in THHN, THWN-2 and XHHW-2 |
| Voltage rating | 600 V building wire, 300 V or 600 V in control and machine tool ratings |
| Standards | UL 83 for THHN and THWN-2, UL 44 for XHHW-2, ASTM B3 and B8 for conductor |
What #10 AWG is and where it sits
Ten gauge is the first size where stranded construction becomes common, though solid 10 AWG is still standard for lighting and receptacle circuits. Solid wire terminates neatly under device screws and holds a shape in a panel. Stranded 10 AWG bends through tighter conduit bends and tolerates vibration better, which is why machine and HVAC work uses it.
The ampacity framework matters more than any single number. A 10 AWG copper conductor is a 30 A conductor in the 60 degree column and gains capacity at 75 and 90 degrees C, but the termination and the ambient temperature can pull it back down. A 30 A breaker with 75 degree terminations is the ordinary application.
- Solid for device wiring, stranded for vibration and tight bends
- 30 A class in the 60 degree column
- Termination rating often limits the usable ampacity
Where #10 is used in Pennsylvania
Commercial lighting circuits, 30 A receptacle runs, small motors, exhaust fans and unit heaters all use it. In plants it appears in 480 V control circuits, on motor starters and in instrument power supplies, where the 600 V rating covers the application even though the circuit runs at 120 V.
Hospitals and schools use it for equipment branches and for the long homeruns where voltage drop pushes a designer up from 12 AWG. Warehouses use it for high-bay lighting. Data centers use it for branch circuits to racks and for control wiring in mechanical rooms.
- 30 A branch circuits and commercial lighting
- 480 V control and motor starter wiring
- Equipment branches in hospitals and labs
- Long homeruns sized for voltage drop
Why partial spools are so common
Nobody buys 10 AWG by the foot. It comes on a spool, the spool goes on a cart, and whatever is left at the end of the job goes back to the shop shelf. Multiply that across a year of service work and a contractor ends up with forty partial spools in ten colors, most of them between 50 and 300 ft.
That is exactly the inventory a buyer can use. A 200 ft spool of black 10 AWG THHN finishes a lighting circuit. The same spool in purple may sit for years, because few jobs need that color and nobody wants to pay full price for a partial.
- Spools bought in 500 ft and 1,000 ft lengths
- Job takeoffs rarely match spool quantities
- Common colors move, odd colors sit
How #10 spools age on a shelf
Ten gauge survives storage well when it stays indoors. The nylon jacket on THHN resists abrasion, and the copper underneath does not corrode unless water reaches the ends. Sun exposure is the main threat, because PVC hardens and the outer wraps can crack after a couple of summers in a truck.
Identification is usually easy. The print on 10 AWG is small but readable, and it states the size, insulation type and voltage. Solid versus stranded is obvious at a glance, and the color is part of the insulation rather than a marking that can wear off.
- Check outer wraps for sun cracking
- Read the print rather than trusting a handwritten label
- Note solid or stranded, since buyers want each separately
Details that make a #10 spool easy to quote
Photograph the spool label and a few inches of the print. Then list the colors, whether each spool is solid or stranded, and the approximate footage. A photo of the whole shelf is helpful for a large lot, but the individual labels are what allow a real quote.
Mention the town and how the material is stored. Spools kept in a climate-controlled shop grade better than spools that spent two years in an unheated trailer, and the difference shows up in the insulation.
- Spool label plus jacket print
- Color, solid or stranded, approximate footage
- Storage conditions and location
What we buy in this category
- 10 AWG THHN solid in black, white, red, blue and green
- 10 AWG THHN stranded in common colors
- 10 AWG THWN-2 and THHN/THWN-2 dual-rated spools
- 10 AWG XHHW-2 copper in partial reels
- 10 AWG MTW and machine tool wire
- Partial spools with 100 ft or more remaining
- Mixed-color lots from contractor shelves
Selling #10 awg wire in Pennsylvania
From the Route 202 corridor to the Mon Valley and the I-81 warehouse belt, #10 awg wire is stored in shops and yards all over the state. Send the city or township, the access details and the photographs, and the pickup can be planned against the real site.
#10 AWG Wire questions
Is #10 wire good for a 30 A circuit?
Yes, in copper it is the usual choice for a 30 A branch circuit, subject to the termination rating and the ambient temperature. The 60 degree column gives it 30 A, and the higher columns give more where the terminations allow.
Do you buy solid and stranded separately?
We review them separately because buyers want each for different work. Solid 10 AWG suits device terminations and lighting. Stranded 10 AWG suits panels, motors and anything that vibrates. Mixed spools are sorted before quoting.
How short can a partial spool be?
There is no fixed floor, but a spool under about 50 ft is hard to place as wire and is usually valued on copper content. Between 100 and 400 ft, a common color is straightforward to resell.
Do you buy aluminum #10?
We will review it, but small-gauge aluminum branch wire is normally valued on metal content. Solid 10 AWG aluminum from older installations has a record of termination problems and is not resold as building wire.
Other wire and cable we buy
THWN-2 Wire
Sell surplus thwn-2 wire in Pennsylvania.
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Buying detailsHave surplus wire on the floor right now?
Send photographs of the reels, tags and jacket print. We will tell you what the material is worth as wire, not just as metal.