Category 06 — control, instrumentation and low voltage
We buy surplus control, instrumentation and low-voltage cable
Plants, data centers, hospitals and universities in Mississippi accumulate low-voltage cable in a way that is easy to overlook: partial spools of shielded instrumentation cable from an I/O upgrade, boxes of plenum-rated communication cable from a build-out, fire-alarm cable left after a panel replacement.
We buy those lots. Small conductors still carry real copper, and shielded and plenum-rated constructions carry a premium that generic scrap pricing ignores.
Control and instrumentation cable
Control cable runs 300V or 600V with multiple conductors, often numbered and sometimes individually shielded. Instrumentation cable is similar but built for signal integrity: twisted pairs or triads, individual or overall shields, and a drain wire. Both are bought in partial lengths, which is how they usually appear.
Pair count, conductor size, shield type and jacket material are the four facts that matter. Tray-rated and sunlight-resistant jackets move better than general-purpose PVC. Armored instrumentation cable is bought too, though the armor adds handling cost.
Communication and data cable
- Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat6A in boxes, partial boxes and bulk spools
- Plenum (CMP), riser (CMR) and general-purpose (CM) ratings
- Coaxial cable in spools and cut lengths
- Fiber optic cable, loose tube and tight buffer, with or without terminations
- Security, access control and audio cable
Plenum-rated cable is worth identifying clearly. A partial box of CMP Cat6 from a hospital or data-center job is a different lot from a generic CM box, and the print on the jacket states the rating. If the box is sealed and labelled, photograph the label.
Fire alarm and life safety cable
Fire alarm cable is rated FPL, FPLR or FPLP and is bought in the standard 2- and 4-conductor configurations, shielded and unshielded, plus the red jacketed cable used for notification circuits. Because these systems are inspected, cable with unknown history and no listing print is a harder lot — include the jacket print in your photos.
| Family | Typical rating | What to send |
|---|---|---|
| Control cable | 300V or 600V, multiconductor | Conductor count, AWG, shield, jacket |
| Instrumentation cable | 300V, pairs or triads | Pair count, shield type, drain wires |
| Communication cable | CM / CMR / CMP | Category, rating, box or spool size |
| Fire alarm cable | FPL / FPLR / FPLP | Conductor count, shield, jacket print |
| Low-voltage / thermostat / speaker | Class 2 or 3 | Gauge, conductor count, footage |
Small cable, real value
It is tempting to treat a shelf of #18 and #22 spools as clutter. A pallet of it is not. We review low-voltage lots as a group when they come from one site, which is usually the fastest way to clear a plant's cable crib in a single pickup.
Questions
Control & Low Voltage questions
Do you buy partial boxes of Cat6?
Yes. Partial boxes are normal after a build-out. Note the category, the rating printed on the jacket (CM, CMR or CMP) and roughly how much is left. Sealed boxes with intact labels are the easiest to quote.
How do I describe shielded instrumentation cable?
Tell us the pair or triad count, the conductor size, whether the shield is individual, overall or both, and whether drain wires are present. A photo of the cut end showing the shield layers answers most of it.
Do you buy fiber optic cable?
Fiber is bought as cable when it is on original spools or in intact lengths, and it is reviewed alongside the copper lots from the same site. Terminated patch cords and loose fiber are not what we are set up for.
Coverage
Where we buy it
These lots come from across Mississippi. Pick the closest region to see how surplus builds up in that local economy.
Quote request
Control & Low Voltage quote request
Tell us what the wire is and how much there is. Photos of the reel tag and jacket print do more than any description.
Request a control & low voltage quote
Tell us what the wire is, how much there is and where it sits. Photos of the reel tags and jacket print speed up the review more than anything else.
Ready to move that surplus wire?
Send the reel details and photos. No cost to submit, and no obligation to accept a quote.