Collection systems and balance of plant.

Original cable cut sheet (ICEA construction code, conductor size, insulation thickness, jacket type), reel records showing length and any prior cuts, megger insulation resistance test (within 30 days of sale), and jacket inspection photos. For cable that was previously installed and then removed (rare; most secondary-market cable is project-surplus from cancellations), demand high-pot test results to verify insulation integrity wasn't damaged during removal.

Mostly yes — most cable on Refound's collection-systems catalog is from canceled or downsized projects where the reels never left the laydown yard. Confirm by checking the reel records (no prior cuts), the original purchase paperwork, and the cable shipping date stamps on the reel flange. Cable that's been on a yard pad for 5+ years through weather cycles deserves a fresh megger test before deployment, regardless of the seller's representation.

Same test sequence as power transformers but at smaller scale: nameplate verification, DGA on the oil sample, megger insulation resistance with PI calculation, turns-ratio test, and a visual inspection looking for tank corrosion, gasket integrity, and any signs of past arc events. Pad-mounts in the 25-2500 kVA range are a strong reuse category — most utility cycle-outs are driven by transformer-loading changes, not failure.

Cold-shrink and heat-shrink splice kits have manufacturer-specified shelf lives — typically 2-5 years from manufacture date depending on the elastomer. Beyond shelf life, the rubber compounds can lose elasticity and the inhibitor compounds can migrate. Refound's collection-systems listings will require splice-kit listings to carry the manufacture date stamp and a note on remaining shelf life. Don't buy splice kits past their date — they're cheap relative to a failed splice in service.

Often yes for OPGW (optical ground wire) where the fiber bundles inside the metallic shield are protected from UV and mechanical wear. ADSS (all-dielectric self-supporting) fiber is less commonly reused because the polymer jacket degrades from UV exposure over 15-20 years. Demand the original construction date, OTDR (optical time-domain reflectometer) trace results from the original commissioning, and a recent OTDR re-trace if the fiber has been in service.

A full 18-reel order of 1000 kcmil MV cable runs roughly 18-22 trucks depending on reel size. Per-reel handling costs are significant — most of the freight quote is loading/unloading time, not road-mile cost. Refound listings include freight-quote-on-inquiry pricing for cable orders and weight-per-reel data so buyers can plan rigging at delivery. For partial reels (under 50% of original length), expect a 15-25% per-foot premium over full-reel pricing because of cable-cutting + re-spooling labor.