Scrap Or Keep? How do you Decide

[Spudland_Dave]

What or how do you determine what is scrap? With the price of Copper these days none of it is "trash"...it will all go to the scrapper when I'm done. Just debating WHAT goes into my box of scrap....obviously little 12" long pieces are no brainer...but how about 4 pcs of 4ga THHN? 15' long each? For the life of me, I cant think of any application for 15' of 4ga THHN...well until I chuck it, I bet

 

[e30bradley]

Idk what THHN means but 4gauge is common for batter cables. I would keep it. I only scrap, scrap. If it can be used for something else I generally keep it.

 

[cvthorn]

I keep an extra recycling bucket around to throw everything metal in. When it gets full, off to the recycling place. That stuff adds up quicker than you think.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Idk what THHN means but 4gauge is common for batter cables. I would keep it. I only scrap, scrap. If it can be used for something else I generally keep it.

THHN is building wire - there aren't enough strands to use it for battery cables, it's too stiff. I'd scrap it.

 

[G_P]

The THHN could be useful if you plan to put a large compressor next to your panel.

Othewise scrap it and buy something you can use.
Strip it first though. Bare copper is worth a lot more than insulated wire and 4ga can be slit with a knife very quickly

Sent from my SPH-M920 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ishiboo]

4ga is enough for a small sub-panel if it is ever needed!

 

[Brians VWss]

I keep an extra recycling bucket around to throw everything metal in. When it gets full, off to the recycling place. That stuff adds up quicker than you think.[/QUOT

I also do this. Everything is stripped as it is tossed in the bucket. So there is minimal time wasted when it is time to cash it in.

 

[BFBOB]

Call your recycler and ask the difference in price between stripped and insulated wire. Depending on the market and other unknown factors, it may not be worth the effort. For aluminum aerial cable at the moment it's definitely worth it to take the steel strand out of the ground conductor, but not worth it to take the insulation off the phase conductors.
Depends also on how you value your time - and that outdoor rated insulation is TOUGH!!