You’ve probably got a lot of scrap copper laying around your house. It’s in the wires of your lamps, tvs, dvd players, and other electronics. There are a lot of places to find scrap copper, but when you are talking to a scrap copper buyer, you will need to speak their language.

Copper comes in different grades that are worth different amounts. When you start a conversation with a scrap copper buyer, they’ll want to know the quality of copper you have. Here are a few terms you may hear and what they mean.

Bare Bright / Bright and Shiny Copper

Bare bright copper is the most valuable copper to scrap copper buyers because it’s completely clean and easiest to recycle. This copper has absolutely no paint, oxidation, impurities, coating or insulation. Bare bright copper only refers to copper wires 16 gauge or thicker, but not pipes. High quality copper pipes usually fall under the #1 copper category.

#1 Copper

#1 Copper is similar to bare bright, but it contains traces of oxidation. And since bare bright only refers to wire, other forms of clean copper (such as pipes, tubes, bus bars, and clippings) are considered #1 copper.

#2 Copper

To a scrap copper buyer, #2 copper is pretty much any un-insulated copper that doesn’t fit into the bare bright or #1 categories. As long as there isn’t extreme oxidation, copper pipe and wire with solder, tarnish, or paint will usually qualify as #2 copper.

#1 Insulated Copper

#1 insulated copper is the same quality as bare bright bright copper, but it is covered in a plastic coating. The insulation does not need to be stripped before selling to a scrap copper buyer, and the copper needs to be 16 gauge or thicker.

#2 Insulated Copper

#2 insulated copper would look like #2 copper when stripped of its insulation. The wire is less than 16 gauge and will typically have a nickel or tin coating. This is typically the type of wire you’ll find in an lamp cords and other extension cords.

Now that you’re caught up on the lingo, you’re ready to talk to a scrap copper buyer. Call us at Community Recycling today at (972) 423-3824 to get our latest prices for scrap copper..