Tips For Selling Scrap Window Air Conditioners For Cash

If you recently upgraded your HVAC system by adding central air and have some old window air conditioner units you no longer need, you could scrap these units for cash. Before you rush to a scrap yard, though, you may want to take the time to disassemble the units. While scrapyards will buy the whole units, you might be able to make a lot more money by taking the window AC units apart. Window AC units usually contain a lot of valuable scrap metals, and here are some tips to help you get the most for your unwanted units.

Remove The Radiators

Each window AC unit should contain a radiator, and you can locate it by looking for the part that contains coils. Once you find and remove the radiator, you will need to remove any steel that might be attached to it. By doing this, you will have non-ferrous metal to sell to the scrapyard, and non-ferrous metal is always worth more than ferrous metal.

Steel is a ferrous metal, and you can tell if a metal is made of steel by placing a magnet on it. If the magnet sticks, it is made of steel. If it does not stick, it is made from a non-ferrous metal. Most AC radiators are made of copper, aluminum, brass, or a mixture. No matter what type of metal you find in your radiators, it will be worth more money than regular steel. A scrapyard will typically weigh non-ferrous metals on a scale and pay a certain price per pound. Steel, or ferrous metal, is typically weighed and paid on a per-ton basis.

Look For Copper In The Devices

Most window AC units also contain copper, and this is normally in the form of tubes or lines. Copper is typically used to hold the coolant that is found in the device, and copper is a valuable form of non-ferrous metal. When you locate copper in the unit, cut it out of the unit and keep it separate from the other parts you plan on selling to the scrapyard.

Sell The Rest As Scrap Steel

Removing the two things listed so far is a great way to increase the value of your scrap AC units, but you should also realize that you can sell whatever is left of the units as scrap steel. There may still be some valuable metals inside these units, but it can require a lot of time and effort to remove the metals, and it isn't usually worth the time and effort needed.

If you have any questions about selling scrap metals, contact a scrapyard in your area. They can give you tips and prices on all kinds of scrap metals.