TC Cable Buyers in Pennsylvania
Type TC cable from Pennsylvania plants, mills and contractors, reviewed on listing, conductor count and footage.
Type TC is the base tray cable defined by UL 1277 and NEC Article 336: two or more insulated conductors, cabled and jacketed, rated 600 V and intended for cable tray, raceway and, in many constructions, direct burial. It is the product plants order by the reel when a process area needs power distributed across a tray system rather than through individual conduits. One jacket carries several circuits, which keeps a long run manageable. That is why a single reel can carry power to several motors at once.
The cable appears in Pennsylvania inventories in several forms. New reels bought for a project that changed scope, partial reels from a motor control center replacement, and removed cable from a line that was torn out. Each is reviewed the same way, starting with the jacket print and ending with the footage. The condition of the jacket usually decides whether a reel is resale stock or recovery material. Where the print is gone, the conductor count and jacket diameter usually settle the question.
| Construction | Multiconductor assembly with fillers and binders under a sunlight resistant overall jacket |
|---|---|
| Conductors | Stranded copper or aluminum, 14 AWG through 1000 kcmil, with or without a ground |
| Insulation | XHHW-2 or THHN/THWN-2 conductors, typically 600 V rated |
| Temperature | 90 C dry and 75 C wet for common XHHW-2 and THWN-2 constructions |
| Standards | UL 1277, NEC Article 336, and ICEA S-95-658 for many power constructions |
What Type TC cable is
The standard describes a factory assembly of two or more insulated conductors covered by a jacket, with the conductors suitable for the voltage and temperature of the application. In practice the conductors are XHHW-2 or THWN-2, the jacket is PVC or a chlorinated polyethylene, and the assembly is rated for 600 V. Sunlight resistance and a direct burial rating are common options rather than automatic features.
Type TC differs from single conductor building wire in that the jacket provides mechanical protection and keeps the conductors together, which suits long tray runs with multiple circuits. It differs from Type MC in that there is no metal armor, so physical protection comes from the tray or raceway rather than the cable.
- Jacketed multiconductor assembly with no armor
- 600 V rating standard for power constructions
- Ground conductor optional depending on the catalog number
- Direct burial and sunlight resistance are listed options
Where Pennsylvania sellers use TC cable
Mills, food plants and water authorities are the heaviest users. A tray run from a substation or switchboard out to a line of motors is usually Type TC because it is faster and cheaper than pulling individual conductors. When the plant adds equipment, the electrician orders another reel and the previous partial goes on the rack.
Contractors doing industrial work also keep TC on hand for temporary power and for tie-ins during shutdowns. Because the cable is ordered in specific conductor counts, a change in the motor schedule can strand a whole reel. Those reels are the ones most often offered for sale, and they are usually in excellent condition.
What makes TC cable resellable
Conductor count, size and jacket condition set the price. A sealed reel of 3/C 6 AWG copper TC with ground is a commodity in industrial circles and can be placed quickly. Four conductor assemblies in 2 AWG through 1/0 are also in demand for feeder and submersible pump work. Single conductor and two conductor constructions have a thinner market.
Aluminum TC is priced lower but still has real value in large sizes, where the metal content per foot is significant. Cable with a legible print that shows the UL listing, the temperature rating and the direct burial designation is easier to sell than an unmarked reel, because the buyer can verify it without opening the jacket.
- 3/C and 4/C copper with ground
- Sealed reels with printed footage
- Burial rated jacket versions
- Large aluminum feeders from 250 kcmil up
Condition, storage and identification
Jacket condition is the whole story. Abrasion from dragging a reel across gravel, cuts from a cable tray edge, and flattening from poor storage all reduce the usable length. Water entering an open end is the quiet problem, since it can travel several feet under the jacket and corrode the conductor before anyone notices.
Reel tags give the catalog number, which is the cleanest identification available. Where the tag is gone, the print on the jacket usually carries the manufacturer, the size, the voltage and the temperature rating. A photo of the cut end confirms the conductor count and shows whether the strands are copper or aluminum.
What to send for a quote
Send the reel tag or catalog number, a photo of the jacket print and a photo of the cut end. List each reel with its size, conductor count and estimated footage. If you have the original purchase order or a cable schedule, include it, because those documents answer most of our questions at once.
We review the inventory and return a quote, then schedule pickup when it is accepted. Tell us the reel weights and whether a forklift is available, and mention if any reels are stored outdoors so we can plan for weather and access.
- Catalog number or reel tag
- Photo of the jacket legend
- Size, conductor count and footage per reel
- Copper or aluminum conductors
- Reel weight and site access
What we buy in this category
- 3/C and 4/C copper Type TC with ground
- Sealed reels of 600 V tray cable
- Burial rated TC reels
- Aluminum TC in 250 kcmil and larger
- Partial reels from motor control center replacements
- Removed cable from decommissioned process lines
- Assorted conductor counts for sorting
- TC reels with legible jacket print and tags
Selling tc cable in Pennsylvania
tc cable arrives from job sites, warehouses and maintenance rooms across all 67 counties. Whether the reels are in Bucks County or Beaver County changes the logistics, not the review, so include the address when you send photographs.
TC Cable questions
Is Type TC the same as tray cable?
TC is the listed product that tray cable refers to. Other tray-rated products exist, including TC-ER for exposed runs and PLTC for power-limited circuits, so the print on the jacket should be read before quoting.
Do you buy TC cable with no ground conductor?
Yes. Ungrounded constructions are common in older plant installations. They are quoted a little differently because fewer buyers can use them, but they are still purchased, especially in large conductor sizes where the copper value is significant.
Can TC cable be direct buried?
Some constructions are listed for direct burial and some are not. The jacket print or the catalog number settles it, and we price burial rated cable separately because it is more versatile and can serve outdoor and underground work as well as tray.
What footage makes a reel worth buying?
There is no fixed threshold. A few hundred feet of a common size can be useful, while 30 ft of an odd conductor count is usually recovery value. We quote the specific reel rather than applying a rule.
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Send photographs of the reels, tags and jacket print. We will tell you what the material is worth as wire, not just as metal.