A bunch of scrap (to me)...

RW

Hero Member
Feb 7, 2007
922
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Fort Worth'ish
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Golden uMax w/CleanSweep - XP Deus
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
I have the chance to get a storage unit full of what I would mostly consider scrap. There are some new motors and fans that are worth some $$$, but I have no idea about the scrap value of the other stuff. I don't want to take it apart, just want to drop it off at a scrap yard. Would could I expect to get for things like:

Washer/Dryers
Central AC Units - The outdoor and indoor portions
Convenience store glass door refrigerators
Residential refrigerators
Microwaves
Electric and Gas ovens

I think it was a HVAC repair shop storage and I don't want to test or fix the stuff.

Any ballparks?
 

If you don't want to break the stuff down then you would get scrap steel price which is around .07-.10 a pound.
 

Well that sounds pretty crappy.... I figured people were stealing AC units because they were worth something.
 

if you break them down you get more money. I am avg $2.43 a pound for copper, .19 for elect motors, 1.43 for brass and .93 for ins wire, 1.11 for cu/alum raidatiors and .08 for compressor. So it all adds up if you have the time to break it down
 

If you have the time it would be well worth it to break it all down, everything you listed will have copper or brass in it, and it pays alot more than the steel price. Here copper is about 2.75 for #1 and around 2.50 for #2. Brass is about 1.55 a pound. Steel is hovering around 8 cents a pound here
 

If you plan to do it legally & responsibly how did you plan to evacuate & dispose of the freon ? Just curious because it's something people rarely take into consideration.
 

NHBandit said:
If you plan to do it legally & responsibly how did you plan to evacuate & dispose of the freon ? Just curious because it's something people rarely take into consideration.

Well it didn't happen but if it did... I would release the freon back into it's natural habitat. I also like to burn ant hills with gasoline and old motor oil.
 

If you run into another lot like that, start calling some AC shops. Display coolers are worth a pretty penny! You could sell the whole lot, with them hauling them off for a good chunk of change. Look at other options to make more money with less work.
 

RW said:
Well that sounds pretty crappy.... I figured people were stealing AC units because they were worth something.

They don't really so much steal the a/c unit but rather strip the coils out of it while leaving the rest behind.

Breaking down an a/c unit (regardless if it is a package unit or the condensor unit), it very easy. Seperating the coils, the electric motor, and wiring from the rest of the steel/metal should only take you 5-10 minutes each. It is pretty easy and I would not take it in without doing so because you lose much value that way.

Other appliances like the fridges, washers and dryers are good just the way they are. You might snip the wires out from underneath if it is not too much trouble. Otherwise just take them in for shreddable steel value. In Houston we are getting 10.5 cents per pound which is very high and makes loads add up quickly.
 

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