Fire Extinguishers/Mobile Homes

So earlier this week I sent out a few emails to various companies and to my surprise I got a reply from one. The guy runs a company that deals in fire safety and tells me he has 100-200 fire extinguishers he wants hauled off. So score there, going to pick them up tomorrow. So thanks for bringing that up on the forum. He is going to show me how to get nozzle off and all that, the right way.

And then I get a call about a lady who wants 5 mobile homes removed. Seems like a big haul but a guy I work with knows how to do that stuff and were going to rent a small excavator. The owner said she will have roll offs brough on the property. We just have to come up with an amount. This isn't going to be cheap, either pay or no is my view on this. So that's what's new in my world.

I keep quiet mostly like to view what others have been doing. I don't have much advice to give but if I ever see a spot I'll give my mind. But anyways just wanted to say thanks again to everyone for their help thus far, been a journey but very fun to say the
Least.

congrats on your scores, the trailers all i have ever done is the frame good money there, you are right to charge judging by all the searches ive done but it is good that they are providing the rolloffs, make sure your excavator has a thumb. im also the fire extinguisher guy :) ive trialed and errored alot but ive got a really nice system down now. i open my vise all the way tighten just until the extinguisher is snug otherwise it will roll up on you, then i run a ratchet strap from under the vise over the top back to the bottom and tighten the crap out of it, use a pipe wrench and a cheater and push down. sounds like a long process but it only takes a about a minute for each one once you get the system down. the nozzles are all different, it sounds like your guy is going to help you figure it out, i would love to hear what he has to say, if you read any of my posts you already know your going to make some big bucks

EDIT, i really need to say this so far its only happened twice and ive done hundreds. i have had two valves that wouldnt open to release the pressure, of course i just assumed on both of them that there wasnt any pressure inside the tank, we the first one it started hissing and i thought well he!!, so i done the stupid thing the first time i slowly unscrewed it and it spun me around im a big guy by the way 240 nozzle still in my hand, it also spun my vise around half a turn, so lots of pressure. anyway the next one it started hissing i took it out of the vise and let it hiss away took a few hours for it to stop. normally im really safty conscious but screwed up that day, the buddy i got them from said if im not careful they would take me for a ride he was right. the guy your going to work with is probably going to show you a verticle pipe vise with a chain that will clamp down around the pipe, this will make the cylinder stable even if this happens tho there would probably be no telling where the nozzle would go.

Yea mobile homes are a pain unless you are getting paid to dismantle it and have a place for all the waste(wood, plastic, and other items we all don't want) I did only one for free and it was a mistake. Of course I made some money but it wasn't worth my time. It was an older one with aluminum wire. I hate that stuff. Anyways the frame,axels, and basically the appliances and a/c/heating unit is where the mobey is in those things.

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Anyways the frame,axels, and basically the appliances and a/c/heating unit is where the money is in those things.

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And the old mobile homes don't usually have AC in them, strike 2

Yea unless you get lucky and get one with a window unit or something. Luckily the one I did had two of them. Most all of them old or new have heat pumps. At least here in the south anyways.

Cory thank you for bringing that up in an earlier post to share. I know you have at least helped 2 people make some money. How often do you run into steel tanks vs. cast?

As for the mobile homes were looking to do it as a a job, there's some scrap profit but not enough to make money. Most have been stripped clean of appliances and a/c units. Most windows are knocked out. They are in a big trailer park so I guess once someone does t pay or trailer isn't safe the neighbors knows and get on it quick.

Thanks again everyone

Do a little research in your area and you may find someone building trailers willing to pay much more than scrap for the axels. Good luck and be safe. BroJer

bull0525, i get way more steel extinguishers than cast alum, probably 5 to 1, but the steel ones that i get anyway typically have larger brass valves and thicker aluminum tubes but again they are all different. i have found copper pins and tubes, and brass pins tubes and chains, kinda like they say on the computers on here kinda like christmas you dont know what you have till you open it up :) i have piles of steel tanks wtih the nozzles out already waiting on a plasma cutter, on those i dont think it would be cost effective to cut in half with the chopsaw or cutting torch.

Hi Cory,
Thanks for the info on fire extinguishers. There is a company here that does that kind of work. They work on firetrucks, extinguishers, and install fire safety equipment in businesses. I guess I need to go speak with them about this. Let me ask you...do you purchase the extinguishers or receive them for free? I would like to learn more about this.

Ok, just took my own advice by using the "Search" button at the top of the page. I answered my own question by typing in "extinguisher". The search function works noobs!!! :o

i get them for free, well i bought the guy lunch and gave him a milwaukee drill. he just wanted them out of the way. we were overwhelmed at first but i couldnt stand life without them now :)

I think that's who he got them from, they are probably out of service life. Anything that's pressurized I'm sure only has a certain lifespan out here in public use. From then on it could be an insurance risk.

that is correct, they have passed their lifespan, ive made about 20 calls today as its raining. the medical supply places want nothing to do with me on the oxygen tanks like i cut up yesterday, i got a real good chance of a extinguisher company in memphins we talked for about 30 minutes today and he said he was going to start cleaning up his shop the next couple saturdays, he said free?? the last guy charged me i didnt care too much for that :) he had a couple hundred he thought i believe i will get them

Surprising what a little phone work will acomplish!

I wouldn't offer more than 200 per trailer I've slavaged several of them and paying anymore than that will land you in the red the aluminum siding is where the money is the frames do weigh much maybe 2 ton or so and prolly 150 pounds give or take copper

I am ripping them down, they will be paying me per trailer. The scrap is just an extra incentive. Thanks for the weight measurements. Helps a lot. I will see how mine compare if we land the job.