I am in sticker shock, it is so expensive (wire rant)

[fpgt72]

Not really "solar" I just needed to rant for a sec.

I am in process of setting up an on demand water heater for my shop, requires 30a. Ok fine....oops not fine I don't have any 10-2 so off to Home Depot I go for a breaker and roughly 100ft of wire. First find the breaker, ok $20 not too bad, I have boxes, outlets and all that jazz off to the wire....hmm when did they put this stuff behind a gate. Ok, no....keep looking, no 12, keep looking there it is 10-2, 100'.....and it is $200! No that can't be right, I start looking.....are you insane, it is 200, when did that happen.

Oh hell no, I ain't gonna pay that for that....no way. I put everything back and went back home thinking I would just tough it out.

Yesterday temps hit 19F, that water was darn cold.

Guess today I am going to pay 200 for 100' of flippin wire.

 

[SeaGal]

In the UK we can get much keener prices for such items via specialist on-line electrical wholesalers, rather than a local retail outlet. Is that not an option in the USA too?

 

[BentleyJ]

Not to mention online wire distributors like WireandCableYourWay.com.

 

[Steve_S]

Sorry but anyone venturing into a Building Supply place (big box or not) better be prepared for a shock.
A sheet of 7/16 OSB Sheathing sold 3 years ago for $7, now $32
The notion of "Affordable homes" to be built, is a farce when the material costs have increased over 400% in < 3 years, sadly in some cases even more than 400%... COPPER being hit horribly Hard !

Also have to love the fact that the US reimposed the Softwood Lumber Duties yet again... They do it, goes to WTO and gets canceled & a year later they do it again... Rinse & Repat for the 7th time already... and only the consumer gets shafted, everytime !

 

[hwy17]

Yeah Romex went crazy during the pandemic copper price spike and building materials shortage.

1. Check Amazon. Personally I think I could spot a fake Southwire roll so I'm willing to.

2. Check for UF-B instead. Electricians aren't willing to be the dork using it in dry location but I will.

Both about $135 for 100 10/2.

 

[Solarcabin Channel]

You might consider a propane OD water heater.

They use pennies of propane for a shower and a #30 pound tank will last several months.

No wiring needed.

Added: Just noticed this is an old post but maybe someone else can use that info.

 

[Brett V]

Copper prices are through the roof. China has been buying all the scrap they can for the past several years and driven market way up on all metals. The 4/0 cable I just bought was $10 a foot.

 

[Quattrohead]

General information about Home Depot, if you order more than $2,500 worth of wire go to the pro desk and they will probably get you 30% off through the bidroom.
Pricing has come down considerably since I had to order my wire so pricing in general isn't as bad as it was but we are never going to see some of the super cheap stuff that was available during the pandemic recovery.
Now we are sliding into recession so everyone is making a money grab whilst they can.

 

[42OhmsPA]

$1.12 / ft at Nassua

10/2 W/GRND NM-B Romex 600V Solid Orange

Specifications : Size AWG : 10, Weight per 1000 ft : 124 lbs, Conductors : 2, Number of Strands : 1, Insulation : PVC, Insulation Thickness : 24 mils. Standards : ASTM B-3 and B-8, UL Standard 83, UL Standard 719, Federal Specification A-A-59544, National Electrical Code, NFPA 70. 2011 Edition...

nassaunationalcable.com

 

[Supervstech]

Not really "solar" I just needed to rant for a sec.

I am in process of setting up an on demand water heater for my shop, requires 30a. Ok fine....oops not fine I don't have any 10-2 so off to Home Depot I go for a breaker and roughly 100ft of wire. First find the breaker, ok $20 not too bad, I have boxes, outlets and all that jazz off to the wire....hmm when did they put this stuff behind a gate. Ok, no....keep looking, no 12, keep looking there it is 10-2, 100'.....and it is $200! No that can't be right, I start looking.....are you insane, it is 200, when did that happen.

Oh hell no, I ain't gonna pay that for that....no way. I put everything back and went back home thinking I would just tough it out.

Yesterday temps hit 19F, that water was darn cold.

Guess today I am going to pay 200 for 100' of flippin wire.

It is targeted price gouging...

Look at the same wire in the 250' length...
300...

So, 100' is worth 200, but the extra 150' is only worth 100...

 

[Farm Boy]

Online, Nassau National Cable I find to be the lowest price to buy cable. A short time ago I bought 350' of 2224 for 1.78 per ft. It was over 2. at other places. This also included free shipping.

 

[rhino]

Copper price history (grey bars are recessions):

 

[rhino]

For my first solar array in early 2000's I used 1/0 copper and remember is was around $0.70/ft. Even with inflation that would be only $1.17 today.

 

[Skypower]

I’ve purchased a large selection of butt connectors. I hate them like the scourge and there’s places where you shouldn’t use them but as the cost of living increases people are going to start to piece things together.

 

[Solarcabin Channel]

people are going to start to piece things together

I keep old extension cords and cut off old appliance cords and have used them many times for small system wiring. Not pretty but they work.

 

[400bird]

I don't know if you have a Platt, Gexpro, or Rexel in your area, but they are half the price of Costco. $1/ft



Oops, they won't cut that 10/2
But they will cut "10/2 UF/NMC" at it is $1.04/ft

 

[Skypower]

I keep old extension cords and cut off old appliance cords and have used them many times for small system wiring. Not pretty but they work.

You’re not alone ?

 

[GTOCheese]

I literally just got off the phone with my internet provider who call to explain why my service was out. He said the the wiring from the pole just past my house had been stripped for the copper. He informed me that this has been on the rise in the last few weeks.

Carzy.

 

[SeaGal]

He said the the wiring from the pole just past my house had been stripped for the copper.

There has been a lot of similar cases in the UK over the last 5 years - often gangs pulling out underground cable with a truck

Fortunately we're fully fibre to the premises - just hope the average thief can tell the difference between glass and copper before they pull it!

 

[Brett V]

We've had a terrible problem with copper grounding gear being stolen from radio towers for the past several years.

 

[Hedges]

Copper price history (grey bars are recessions):
View attachment 175910

Dollar purchasing power

I’ve purchased a large selection of butt connectors. I hate them like the scourge and there’s places where you shouldn’t use them but as the cost of living increases people are going to start to piece things together.

I keep old extension cords and cut off old appliance cords and have used them many times for small system wiring. Not pretty but they work.

PG&E likes to do that with short sections of 30" high pressure gas pipe.
Just ask the residents of San Bruno.

I literally just got off the phone with my internet provider who call to explain why my service was out. He said the the wiring from the pole just past my house had been stripped for the copper. He informed me that this has been on the rise in the last few weeks.

Carzy.

There has been a lot of similar cases in the UK over the last 5 years - often gangs pulling out underground cable with a truck

Fortunately we're fully fibre to the premises - just hope the average thief can tell the difference between glass and copper before they pull it!

I was about to say the same about my Gbit fiber.

 

[Alkaline]

I literally just got off the phone with my internet provider who call to explain why my service was out. He said the the wiring from the pole just past my house had been stripped for the copper. He informed me that this has been on the rise in the last few weeks.

Carzy.

They stole my mom's gutters, she had these nice 1900's style copper gutters and they robbed her during the day while she was at work. When we tried to find out what happened and the neighbors said "ohh we thought you were getting work done some people came and took them off and then hauled them off in a pickup truck."

Luckily state farm paid the claim, replacing them with new copper ones would have been insanely expensive so now some generic aluminum ones sit in their place.

 

[millsan1]

Copper is crazy right now. My buddy is building a house. 3/4 copper pipe was $10 per foot.

 

[Supervstech]

Copper is crazy right now. My buddy is building a house. 3/4 copper pipe was $10 per foot.

In the 80's i installed a lot of boilers and used copper exclusively, i kept all thw pipe stock, and have probably 200' of 1" and 3/4" L and K copper tubing under my house...
I hate to think what it costs new...

 

[tmprof]

I used facebook marketplace and found 75 ft of 3/0 for $200.
Also found 2 500ft spools of 10g for $75 each. I thought it'd be useful in the future when I add more panels.