Newbie Question Dishwasher?

I would appreciate any help any informed scrapper can give me with my situation.

This is literally my first week scrapping and I just made my first free craigslist pickup. It was for a free dishwasher only 8 minutes away from where I work. I went to pick it up and as I was in the process of taking it, I became aware that it seems to be primarily plastic. (It was pretty light being carried out by the owner and me.)

I had thought it would be mostly metal, somewhat heavy, and possibly with a motor. At this point I don't know what my best option is.

1) My town has a once a year free metal pickup scheduled by appointment through the city. I can call them and have them pick it up and be done with it. (A maximum of 5 items free per year) I would hold off until I accumulated 5 items to maximize this service. (I can store it in my warehouse until then.)

2) There are 2 scrapyards that are literally no more than a quarter of a mile from where I work. I can stop by and see if they would take it, even if I get no money. ( iaven't contacted either scrapyard for prices or policies yet.
3) I can try and do what I was originally going to try and do, namely, process it for scrap and cash it in.

My question is: “What would you do if you found yourself in my position?” Are there any parts worthwhile to get at, or should I view this as a learning experience, cut my losses and move on?

Also, are most dishwashers more “non”metal than metal? And do you guys pass them up if you have the choice?

Any and all help you can give is greatly appreciated.

I will try and post pics soon.

Thanks

I will try and post pics soon.

I would process it. There will be a lot of plastic in it but there is also a motor, some wiring, and some brass and steel as well. I personally don't pass anything up if it's free and that close. But that's just me. The tub of dishwashers is usually made from plastic. If you are willing to let it sit around so the county can pick it up, why not just clean it yourself, that's what they'll do with it.

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Originally Posted by Hypoman

I would process it. There will be a lot of plastic in it but there is also a motor, some wiring, and some brass and steel as well. I personally don't pass anything up if it's free and that close. But that's just me. The tub of dishwashers is usually made from plastic. If you are willing to let it sit around so the county can pick it up, why not just clean it yourself, that's what they'll do with it.

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I agree with hypoman. I use to not mess with them until I took one completely apart. There is usually a small brass fitting or two, but inside sometimes there is stainless steel parts. Also, if you take the door apart there is a mass of insulated wire back there. Sometimes the door itself has a sheet of aluminum on the outside, so that is more for the aluminum stash. Not to mention the electric motor at the bottom. Take it completely apart, and you will find that it can be worth messing with. Once you have done that one you can determine whether it is worth your time. I usually do not put a dollar amount on my time like other folks might, as a lot of my disassembly is done when I have nothing else to do, so it is something that helps fill in dead time, and I hate sitting around twiddling my thumbs.

Yeah, process it and take it to sell to the scrap yard. If they don't want it, let them tell you so. No need for you to decide what they will or won't take.

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Originally Posted by bailey

I would appreciate any help any informed scrapper can give me with my situation.

This is literally my first week scrapping and I just made my first free craigslist pickup. It was for a free dishwasher only 8 minutes away from where I work. I went to pick it up and as I was in the process of taking it, I became aware that it seems to be primarily plastic. (It was pretty light being carried out by the owner and me.)

I had thought it would be mostly metal, somewhat heavy, and possibly with a motor. At this point I don't know what my best option is.

1) My town has a once a year free metal pickup scheduled by appointment through the city. I can call them and have them pick it up and be done with it. (A maximum of 5 items free per year) I would hold off until I accumulated 5 items to maximize this service. (I can store it in my warehouse until then.)

2) There are 2 scrapyards that are literally no more than a quarter of a mile from where I work. I can stop by and see if they would take it, even if I get no money. ( iaven't contacted either scrapyard for prices or policies yet.
3) I can try and do what I was originally going to try and do, namely, process it for scrap and cash it in.

My question is: “What would you do if you found yourself in my position?” Are there any parts worthwhile to get at, or should I view this as a learning experience, cut my losses and move on?

Also, are most dishwashers more “non”metal than metal? And do you guys pass them up if you have the choice?

Any and all help you can give is greatly appreciated.

I will try and post pics soon.

Thanks

I will try and post pics soon.

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Process it brother, process it!!! More than meets the eye!

scrap yards by me wont take them. Too much plastic they say. But they take fridges! Remove motor, copper water line for sure. Call your yard and ask if they will take it, if they wont then break it down to the plastic shell / tub.

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Originally Posted by hobo finds

scrap yards by me wont take them. Too much plastic they say. But they take fridges! Remove motor, copper water line for sure. Call your yard and ask if they will take it, if they wont then break it down to the plastic shell / tub.

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Ours take them, but I am sure it is because of what is inside of them though.

If the dish washer looks good refurbish it then sell, 99 percent of the time a glass broke and a piece found its way into the macerateor jamming the motor. Simply remove the broken glass and resemble.

Wash her up, spray a wiff of Ozium into the unit it will smell as new. If the color is black, there are more painted panels behind this one for color changes.

No I am not an appliance repairman, I'm a junk man who loves the smell of money.

Regards
Gustavus

a wiff of Ozium. Thats just what I need!

I have only had one dishwasher to scrap. I completely broke it down and I use the plastic tub turned on it's back as a storage vessel. It has some built in handles that allow for dragging it when full and being made of plastic it slides fairly easy on grass, gravel or concrete. I could actually use a few more of these.

I have taken several dishwashers that are mostly plastic to the scrap yard and they have never turned them down. I always take the motor off and pull the wiring out. Sometimes their will be a small piece of brass for the inlet pipe.

My buddy owns a appliance repair shop and we took a 18ft dual axle landscaping trailer loaded down with about 25 dishwashers. All but a few were all plastic tubs, still got full price for the load. Not a word said.

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Originally Posted by Catfish Bob

I have taken several dishwashers that are mostly plastic to the scrap yard and they have never turned them down. I always take the motor off and pull the wiring out. Sometimes their will be a small piece of brass for the inlet pipe.

My buddy owns a appliance repair shop and we took a 18ft dual axle landscaping trailer loaded down with about 25 dishwashers. All but a few were all plastic tubs, still got full price for the load. Not a word said.

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Nothing was said because the plastic has value when sold in volume, the large car shredders with two 3500 hp motors do more much more than shred, everything that goes through it is separated into the proper class of material for resale, plastic, oil, antifreeze, upholstery, aluminum, coper from rads and wiring cast iron and so forth.

Each have their own specific gravity, some are magnetic while others not, if you ever get a chance to tour the inside of a shredder don't pass it up.

Regards
Gustavus

Yep my yard pays me tin price for dishwasher carcasses. So i pull the motor and wire and any fitting or SS of then throw it in the shred pile.

On a side note, I like to use the utensil rack to put tools in and carry to the work bench or outside to a project.

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Originally Posted by IdahoScrapper

On a side note, I like to use the utensil rack to put tools in and carry to the work bench or outside to a project.

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And they say we can't be domesticated.

First off, I would like to thank everyone who responded. I had been reading posts in the forum for a few days before going out today and "couldn't put the book down", so to speak. It's a great community.

It definitely seems like I found something that is far more useful than I originally thought. (I don't think it would have occurred to me to use the plastic tub as a storage vessel as suggested, to say nothing of all the potential $ to eventually be realized when it is all said and done.) I didn't think something that light would have as much as was mentioned here. I did see a brass fitting before my original posting, but my untrained eye saw little else, the motor looked really small and I didn't know if it was worth it. I will start tearing it apart when I have time and I am sure I will learn a thing or two.

Thanks again.

PS

Given that I completely missed the boat on this one, does anyone know of any direct links to posts that say something like; "the following items are easily overlooked but worth picking up, or conversely, look much better than they actually are, stay away? For someone as green as me, that would be EXTREMELY helpful.

Thanks again.

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Originally Posted by bailey

Given that I completely missed the boat on this one, does anyone know of any direct links to posts that say something like; "the following items are easily overlooked but worth picking up, or conversely, look much better than they actually are, stay away? For someone as green as me, that would be EXTREMELY helpful.

Thanks again.

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We all make mistakes, and trust me, since being a member for a week so far, I have learned more than I have before.

I am not sure what all is on this forum, but if you have questions, feel free to ask, and you will get a response.

I just meant that the info on this site can be put into a textbook format and could be taught as a class or 2 in a college for a "Recycling/ Going GReen degree" Thats all.
So please, please don't charge me to talk to you here........... I'm scared.

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Originally Posted by Hypoman

I just meant that the info on this site can be put into a textbook format and could be taught as a class or 2 in a college for a "Recycling/ Going GReen degree" Thats all.
So please, please don't charge me to talk to you here........... I'm scared.

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That is true. My wife's grandmother earlier this evening tried talking me into selling information on how to break stuff down, etc.

Tried telling her there is to much FREE info on the web.

Plus, I like working with my hands, and tearing things apart. I could write an article or two at a time for FREE to help people, but I could never write a ebook or anything like that. I fall asleep lol

My yard didn't even take fridges up until a couple of years ago. They take dishwashers, but I never bother with them for one reason:

Every time my wife sees a dishwasher on the truck she starts wanting me to go buy her one, and we don't have the space in the kitchen lol

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Originally Posted by ScrappyMcGee

My yard didn't even take fridges up until a couple of years ago. They take dishwashers, but I never bother with them for one reason:

Every time my wife sees a dishwasher on the truck she starts wanting me to go buy her one, and we don't have the space in the kitchen lol

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Bet you that if you got a metal lathe you would find room in your shop, it's her kitchen give her the **** dishwasher. One of the befits folks realize having a dishwasher is the amount of colds and other illness in the family go way down.

Best Regards
Gustavus

My current dishwasher was left for dead...not sure why works great, better then the one it replaced.

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Originally Posted by Kris Kringle

They Make Portable Dishwashers Scrappy Dude.

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ANY dishwasher can be portable. all you need is power and water (in then out)



HERE IS MY DISHWASHER TIP....


I have one in my shed, picked it up kerbside 2 years ago. Miele brand from sweden? it is all SS inside, with SS dish racks too! No side or top panels, but I don't care, put it under the work bench, use the cheapest most caustic powder you can find, and its a 'parts washer' that is almost second to none!!!!

What?
Dishwashers are great $ earners, theres copper wire, Cu in the solenoid, Cu in the motor, Cu in the timer.
The liners & spinners are normally stainless & they scrap out easy.
Except for the plastic & insulation the rest is $.

My yard lets me put the plastic carcasses with the metal frame still attached in with shred. So I get $.10 a pound for it here.

I scrapped a dishwasher just to see what it weighs in stainless steel.

This job is something you will definitely need proper work gloves for.
All of the stainless edges are razor sharp on one side.

Theres a few strips of magnetic stainless holding the front door seal on & I needed to use a angle grinder to cut off the zinc plated sheetmetal spotwelded to the bottom of the dishwasher.
That zinc plated steel is the hardest part about it actually, everything else is screws & clips.

Theres a layer of tar glued on the outside of the stainless liner
I just bashed the inside of the liner & it cracked & broke off. If its warm it'll go soft & won't crack.

I think the two stainless parts weighed 8 Kg, it worked out as NZ$12, a bit under US$10.
Easyish work, theres other metals on it, so a dishwashers probably worth about US$18. Copper/Stainless/Ali-Magnesium.

Theres a bit of a market for used dishwasher parts, the spinner & plastic trim, maybe the hose etc.

This thread reminds me of this joke:

Why does the bride wear white?
So the dishwasher will match the rest of the appliances