Buy SO Cable & SOOW Cable

Anyone following the markets lately will notice that commodity prices have been on a steady rise through the first half of the year.  As SO cable as well as Type G, Type W, welding cable and DLO cable are all heavily dependent on raw input prices, there has been a noticable increase in the pricing of these items.

Many of our regular customers are acutely aware of the effects of increasing commodity prices.  Most important of course is the cost of copper.  Copper as of today was selling for about $2.20 per pound on the COMEX.  While much higher than it was at the beginning of the year, it still has a long way to go to catch up with the $4.00 per pound cost it reached in the summer of 2008.  A close second to copper is the cost of oil.  As the jacket and insulation of most cables are petroleum based, the cost of oil plays a big role in pricing also.  Oil of course topped in the $140 per barrel range last summer and is currently around $70 per barrel.

As the economy improves it is quite likely that we will witness a continued increase in these raw input costs.  Most economists agree that we will begin to see a recovery starting in the second half of the year and into 2010.  Many emerging markets are already seeing improvements with China of course being the 800 lb gorilla.  If we stay on this current track it is reasonable to believe that copper and oil will continue the steady march north.  If you are a big buyer of the larger sizes of wire and cable it may behoove you to take a look at some projections later this year and maybe think about stocking up now before we begin to see the big increases.

As always if you have any questions you can contact us at 800-714-9473.

A question we are often asked is what is the difference between SO cable and VNTC cable and under what circumstances should I use one over the other?  Keep in mind that SO cable is generally designed for portable power applications also known as temporary power.  Tray cable on the other hand is designed more for a permanent installation.  If you think in those terms, it will make it easier for you to decide which one to use.  If you are installing something and leaving it there for the long term, then tray cable is probably your best bet.

Another factor to consider is what the cable will actually be exposed to.  SO cable is not designed to be left out in the sun or buried under ground for any extended period of time.  If you use it in that way you will find that the jacket will begin to dry rot and crack.  Tray cable on the other hand generally comes with a UV resistant jacket that is also direct burial rated.  Delco stocks both items in most gauge sizes and conductor counts.  Give us a call if you have any questions at 800-714-9473.

One of the most common questions we get is what is the voltage rating or how many amps can a particular cable handle.  This is common for all cables whether it is the SOOW version or Type W or DLO etc.  The easy answer of course is for SOOW cable the voltage rating is 600 volts.  DLO cable, Type W cable and Type G cable all run up to 2000 volts.  The more difficult question is what and how do amperage ratings apply to these cables.

It is important to understand that how you will be using the cable will affect its amperage ratings.  You need to know whether you will be using the cable in a tray along with other cables, or will you be using it in a free standing capacity?   Also what is the ambient temperature that the cable will be exposed to?  A very simple online chart is provided by the Okonite company here.

If you have additional questions give us a call at 800-714-9473.  One of our knowledgeable staff members will be happy to help.  You can also visit our products page at Delco Wire and Cable

In this post we would just like to share a little information on what I guess we would call attention to detail. We have spent a fair amount of time in this business and one thing we know for sure is that pricing is, and has always been, volatile. When it comes to SO cable or SO cord the primary driver in price is copper cost. The larger the awg size of course, the more the copper differential will come into play. A handy site to keep at your disposal is www.nymex.com. Here you can get daily spot copper pricing.

We say all of this because we see quite a few sites out there that allow you to buy SO cable from a shopping cart. Now, these may all be fine companies but as a consumer you would be far better served to make the phone call. Odds are that with so many different items to keep up with, it is unlikely that most of these sites are updating their pricing on a daily basis. While this is certainly their prerogative, it does not help you as a consumer. If you are just blindly buying this item from a shipping cart we would wager that you are paying more than you need to. Consider this a public service announcement from your friends at Delco Wire and Cable. Call us for your SO or SOOW cable needs at 1-800-714-9473 or visit us at www.delcowireus.com

If SO cables were always used as permanent power sources, abrasion resistance wouldn’t matter. You’d install equipment once, attach the cable, and leave it there for years. Water resistance would be a main advantage, but abrasion concerns would be minimal. The reality is that SO cable is often used as a temporary power source. It’s dragged over concrete to power a portable fan at a workshop or pulled through the mud at every stop on a circus tour. And after all that abuse, it’s gathered up roughly, stuffed in the back of a storage unit, and expected to perform perfectly the next time.

SO cable takes a beating, and that’s why abrasion resistance is such a benefit. Water resistance is nice, but if the jacket breaks every time it hits a snag, it would be very impractical. By virtue of its strong outer jacket, SO cable is heavy-duty and reliable and just may be the right choice for you.

If you are looking for price and availability for SO cord or SOOW cable contact us at 1-800-714-9473 or visit our website at www.delcowireus.com

Another question we often get is what is different between VNTC cable and SO cable? VNTC stands for vinyl nylon tray cable. This type of cable is quite different from SO and SOOW cable. The SO cable is designed for temporary power whereas the VNTC is for permanent installation. This type of tray cable is also generally approved for direct burial applications and is usually sunlight resistant and weather proof.

SO cable if left out in the sun will eventually crack and dry rot. While the SOOW version of this cable is water resistant it is not water proof, which means it is not recommended to use this cable for applications where the cable may be continually submerged.

We have specifications you can look at on our VNTC cable here. Delco stocks a wide variety of tray cable and SO cable. Feel free to give us a call at 800-714-9473 if you have any questions or needs for either of these products.

Generally speaking most manufacturer’s are now only making the SOOW version of this cable. You will hear reference to SO cable, SOW cable or SOOW cable but it is mostly the same these days. The SOOW means that both the jacket and the conductors are oil resistant. With the older SOW only the jacket was oil resistant. The W on the end means the jacket is also water resistant. They all have the same voltage rating at 600 volts and the same temperature rating which is good up to 90 degrees celsius on the high end, and minus 40 degrees celsius on the low end. There is also the UL/MSHA approved version of the cable as well as just the MSHA approved version. Some people also refer to the cable as SO cord but that is also the same type of cable.

Delco stocks all awg sizes and conductor counts of this type of cable. Feel free to call us at 800-714-9473 if you have any questions.  You can visit our website by clicking here.

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