XHHW and XHHW-2 wire buyers in Tennessee
For plants and contractors holding cross-linked polyethylene feeder wire, this page covers what XHHW is, where it was used and how a reel is reviewed.
Send us your reel list
Six details are enough for a first review: what the cable is, the metal, the size, the footage or reel count, the condition and where it sits. Photographs can follow by text or email. There is no fee and no obligation, and nothing moves until written terms are agreed.
Cross-linked polyethylene is the reason XHHW turns up on plant feeders rather than only in short conduit runs. The insulation holds its shape and its dielectric strength at higher temperatures and in wet conditions, so it is specified where an ordinary thermoplastic wire would need derating or would not be permitted at all.
We buy XHHW and XHHW-2 in copper and aluminum, from storehouse overstock and from projects that changed scope. What we need from you is the size, the conductor material, the voltage class and the footage, ideally confirmed against the jacket print rather than against memory.
A reel of XHHW is easy to identify and hard to value without the print and the footage.
Lot basics
- Voltage
- 600 V and 1 kV
- Insulation
- Cross-linked polyethylene
- Sizes
- 14 AWG to 1,000 kcmil
- Locations
- Wet and dry, sunlight resistant
What cross-linking does to the polyethylene
Standard polyethylene is a thermoplastic. It softens as it heats, and moisture migrates into the polymer over time. Cross-linking ties the polymer chains together chemically, which turns the insulation into a thermoset. It will not flow or melt at the temperatures a feeder reaches, and it absorbs far less moisture than PVC. That is the entire reason the type exists.
XHHW is rated 600 V, and a 1 kV version is made for industrial work. Sizes run from 14 AWG to 1,000 kcmil in copper and aluminum, solid in the smaller sizes and stranded above. The -2 suffix marks the newer rating: 90 degrees C in both dry and wet locations, where the original XHHW was limited to 75 degrees C when wet.
- Thermoset insulation rather than thermoplastic
- 600 V and 1 kV constructions
- 14 AWG through 1,000 kcmil
- Sunlight-resistant versions marked SR
How we review a reel of XHHW wire
Plant feeders are where most of this material goes. A run from a switchgear lineup to a motor control center, a sub-feed to a remote panel or a duct bank between buildings will often be specified in XHHW, because those conductors may sit in damp conditions for their whole service life. Outdoor conduit and underground ducts drive the same decision.
Aluminum XHHW dominates the larger feeder sizes, because it is lighter and less expensive to install at 4/0 and above. Copper appears in smaller feeders, in control-adjacent work and wherever the terminations call for it. A lot that is mostly 250 kcmil and 350 kcmil aluminum is usually feeder stock from a plant project rather than a branch-circuit order.
How we review a reel of XHHW wire
Our review starts at the jacket print. It should show the type, the size, the voltage and the conductor material, and on newer stock a sunlight-resistant marking. We then look at the exposed wraps for chalky or cracked insulation, which is what years of UV exposure looks like, and at the reel ends for conductor that has been crushed or bent.
Footage comes next. A factory reel carries its length on the tag. An opened reel is measured from the wrap count and the drum diameter, then checked against weight. Where the ends have been cut back or the conductor has been pulled hard, we look for necking or a loosened strand lay before we quote.
Questions sellers ask
How do you tell XHHW from THHN when the tag is missing?
The jacket print is the first check, since XHHW is marked with its type and voltage. Failing that, the insulation feels different. Cross-linked polyethylene is harder and more matte than a nylon-jacketed THHN, which is slick and slightly glossy. A knife cut across the insulation shows a tougher, more rubbery section on XHHW.
Do you buy aluminum XHHW as well as copper?
Yes, and in the larger sizes aluminum is the more common of the two. Send a photograph of the print that shows the AL marking and the size, plus the footage. Pricing differs from copper, so we do not treat a mixed pallet as a single material when we quote.
What does the -2 suffix change?
It raises the wet-location temperature rating from 75 to 90 degrees C. Both versions are 600 V wire, and the -2 rating simply allows the conductor to run warmer where moisture is present. Most current stock is dual marked XHHW-2, so the distinction matters mainly on older reels and on what the print actually says.
Is sun-faded XHHW still saleable?
Often, yes, if the fade is surface color only and the insulation is not cracked or chalky to the touch. Sunlight-resistant stock is made for exposed runs, and stock that was never rated for it can degrade in the outer wraps. We ask for a close photograph of the outermost layer before we commit.
Send us your reel list
Six details are enough for a first review: what the cable is, the metal, the size, the footage or reel count, the condition and where it sits. Photographs can follow by text or email. There is no fee and no obligation, and nothing moves until written terms are agreed.
Feeder wire in the racks?
Send the jacket print, the conductor material, the size and the footage on each reel.
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