What a touch i had today

Hello all,
Im so excited.

I had a real touch today, a mate of mine had a job of clearing out a house and garage, he called me and told me to get over to his yard, when i got there, he said "here, those are for you"

He had brought back the following for me:

2 washing machines
1 Cooker
2 Fridges
1 lawnmower (hover mower)

I just cant wait until i start to strip them down.

Anyone offer any tips?
Normally im into the copper, is there anything else i should be looking for, before i ruin something?

cheers all

Compressors, electric motors, copper in the electric motors, wire,

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Originally Posted by GeorgeB

Compressors, electric motors, copper in the electric motors, wire,

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Yeah cheers George, i had my eyes on the electric motors when i took the lid off a washing machine and the lawnmower, but to be honest i just had a quick look and am still in the dark regarding the cooker & Fridges, also if there was anything else i should look out for?


Time for a stupid question...Sorry mate
When you said compressors on which appliance would i find this?
Thanks for your help

cheers,

Be Lucky mate

Compressors for appliances are just on refrigerators. It is what is used to transport the refrigerant around the copper tubes to keep the fridge cool and your food from spoiling.

Only thing else I have found them in, has been AC units (all of them).

The ones in the fridges do not weight that much, where the ones in AC units varies depending on the make, model, and size.

Very nice friend you have there. Some of those motors are a pain to get out of the washers and driers, if they dont contain copper wire I dont waste my time. If the motors have aluminum wire in them, I just leave them in the appliance.

Hey skipRAT, your two fridges may also contain aluminum parts.

did you check to see if any still work?

Although I rarely scrap appliances anymore, it was appliance scrapping / processing that gave me my start within the recycling industry. I started out scrapping appliances almost exclusively for three years full-time +

It all depends upon how far you want to strip them down? I used to go all the way.... I would even go into the refrigerators interior and remove the pure 100% Aluminum coil or evaporator (Like a minature radiator) I would harvest the wire and copper lines that go to the coil, the compressor, break the ice-makers down etc. It may seem like to much work for little pay-off, but once you have done enough you become so fast & efficient that will pay -off, and of course the neat thing about doing appliances is that once in a while you run into perfectely good units and/or you are able to repair them and re-sell them.

Yes that was certainely nice of your friend to do that for you....... Good luck scrapping

i honestly think the decision whether to break something down or not and how much to do so is based entirely on what your time is worth to you. if you have a day where theres not much to do then why not break em down and make the extra money but if you have a bunch of jobs going and your a busy person the money will come anyway jus scrap it mixed

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Originally Posted by GeorgeB

Compressors for appliances are just on refrigerators. It is what is used to transport the refrigerant around the copper tubes to keep the fridge cool and your food from spoiling.

Only thing else I have found them in, has been AC units (all of them).

The ones in the fridges do not weight that much, where the ones in AC units varies depending on the make, model, and size.

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And freezers, water coolors, ice machines...

Wow what an xclnt bunch of replies, cheers

gamedayron

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i honestly think the decision whether to break something down or not and how much to do so is based entirely on what your time is worth to you.

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I can afford the time to completely break them down.

GreenTruckR

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It may seem like to much work for little pay-off, but once you have done enough you become so fast & efficient that will pay -off,I would even go into the refrigerators interior and remove the pure 100% Aluminum coil or evaporator (Like a minature radiator)

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So we have 100% ally coil, thats good. Yes this is what i want to be quick at what im doing!

bluemeate

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did you check to see if any still work?

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I didnt no, but my mate said he had asked the owners and they had said that "its all broken stuff"?

iScrap

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Hey skipRAT, your two fridges may also contain aluminum parts.

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Brilliant, so i am also looking for the ally now! cheers

CMHN

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Very nice friend you have there. Some of those motors are a pain to get out of the washers and driers, if they dont contain copper wire I dont waste my time. If the motors have aluminum wire in them, I just leave them in the appliance.

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True, he is a good mate!
Yeah when i lifted the lid and had a quick look at the motor on the washing machine, i could see the copper in them!

GeorgeB

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Compressors for appliances are just on refrigerators. It is what is used to transport the refrigerant around the copper tubes to keep the fridge cool and your food from spoiling.

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Ahh, i think i know what you are on about now? i didnt realise they were compressors, i just noticed the small copper piping, and my eyes lit up

Thank you all so much for the help and advice given i really appreciate it!
cheers all & be lucky

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Originally Posted by skipRAT

Yeah when i lifted the lid and had a quick look at the motor on the washing machine, i could see the copper in them!

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Make sure it's copper and not just copper-coated winding.

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Make sure it's copper and not just copper-coated winding

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Oh Mick, i hadn't thought of that,
Maybe it was too good to be true eh?

And there was me thinking "i had stumbled on a cache of 'poor mans gold'
I will snip it tomorrow and keep you all informed

You must deal with freon (proper) now if you gut the fridge you will also find a AL cooling radiator & a little copper fan motor , Some fridges are a gold mine, some are cheap. But for all items you have it's up to you as to the detail you take apart. As all the items have - copper - brass - AL - steel - wire. The quantity of of the different metals has to do with the quality of units. The fridge compressors have decent value, as is (.03 above short ) getting the copper out is work unless you have equipment, and the will to do it.
I have seen washers with heavy steel gear boxes & washers with the motor and a belt and pulley system.

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Originally Posted by Copper Head

You must deal with freon (proper) now

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Yes CH, this is the bit that is bothering?

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Originally Posted by Copper Head

if you gut the fridge you will also find a AL cooling radiator & a little copper fan motor , Some fridges are a gold mine, some are cheap. But for all items you have it's up to you as to the detail you take apart. As all the items have - copper - brass - AL - steel - wire. The quantity of of the different metals has to do with the quality of units. The fridge compressors have decent value, as is (.03 above short ) getting the copper out is work unless you have equipment, and the will to do it.

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To be honest, i dont have a good selection of tools or the right equipment to start cutting and grinding, what i do have is a basic tool kit, willpower and a lot of time!
These fridges are cheap, i can see them having the basic bits, but i cant see them being goldmines?
I will continue to breakdown these items and post the results and any photos of items that im not sure of, I can see me running into problems from the start?

Many thanks for your advice mate

Be Lucky

Let your magnet be your friend and use it so you know what kind of metals your dealing with. There might be a little stainless in those Fridges also, maybe in the tub of the washer (not too often). Not sure what kind of cooker your talking about, but if it's an electric plug in kind, like a "george foreman; then it's cast alum. Also might be a cast alum deck on the mower. Just thinkin' out loud here,,,

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

Let your magnet be your friend and use it so you know what kind of metals your dealing with.

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Yes mate, i carry this everywhere with me.

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

There might be a little stainless in those Fridges also, maybe in the tub of the washer (not too often).

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Do you mean the drums?
(thats what we call them here, the round large bowl where you put your clothing?)
yeah they are stainless.

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

Not sure what kind of cooker your talking about, but if it's an electric plug in kind, like a "george foreman; then it's cast alum. Also might be a cast alum deck on the mower. Just thinkin' out loud here,,,

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Nah mate, although it is electric, it is an old stand-up type, probably the size of a gas cooker {normal size}
Also from the quick look i had ...nothing jumped out at me other than the cable?
I dont think this appliance is going to be the goldmine mate

Cheers for your advice mate

Be Lucky

In your fridges there is going to be about 2Lb of copper wire in each of them.
You need to cut the compressor casings apart first, use a angle grinder with a cut off disc.
Theres copper tubing running of the compressor, normally its welded to steel tube at some point, use a magnet.
Theres Ali in the inside radiator, if they are really really old, it may be brass sheet & copper tube, most likely its Ali.

Your washing machines are most probably also going to have copper windings in the motors.
And about 50 grams copper in the water pump.
Scratch the windings first with a sharp screwdriver to see what colour it is under the varnish, copper = good. silver = Ali = not so good.

Old broken Ice makers from restaurants are a gold mine, as some use a large chunk copper mold for the ice there is a zinc nickel over that copper radiator.

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Originally Posted by eesakiwi

In your fridges there is going to be about 2Lb of copper wire in each of them.

Theres copper tubing running of the compressor, normally its welded to steel tube at some point, use a magnet.
Theres Ali in the inside radiator, if they are really really old, it may be brass sheet & copper tube, most likely its Ali.

Your washing machines are most probably also going to have copper windings in the motors.
And about 50 grams copper in the water pump.
Scratch the windings first with a sharp screwdriver to see what colour it is under the varnish, copper = good. silver = Ali = not so good.

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Thanks very much for this information mate, its really helpful..!
Sounds like you may have broken a few down in your time eh?

cheers & Be Lucky all.