Non-PCB Ballast Find

Hey scrappers,
I have been working at a ACE hardware for awhile now.I have slowly started finding old things in the basement to scrap and they have been giving them to me for free.My latest load was a SH*t ton of Ballast. I called my local yard asking if they would take them they said if they were non-pcb.I found a whole bin of them that i could not even move my self. They were from the years of changing them out in the store. Hopefully it will be a good pay day. It is worth a shot to go ask some stores and see if they have some old ones around.
Happy scrapping
Max

Thanks for the info maxa...and congrats on your finds !

Nice find. Keep your eye out for old hardware related paper, catalogs and old tools and tool parts in that basement. That kind of stuff can sell well on Ebay or Craigslist.

@tedean I will
@mick no i planned on selling then whole i think there is a ton of nasty glue in them but i could if you wanted to find out

I'd like to know too - we've always ignored non-pcb ballasts thinking they're just heavy epoxy and a transformer...are they actually worth something?

I will smash on apart when i get a chance and get back to you

that would be a way better price i better check that out later to busy making business card right now

was doing a demo job one time and was given over 400 ballast.....made money for weeks off of them LOL

when breaking them down i don't need to worry about chemicals right cause they are non PCBs?

Originally Posted by maxa

when breaking them down i don't need to worry about chemicals right cause they are non PCBs?

I would seriously reconsider breaking them down unless you really know what you are doing. From the research I've done, I am pretty sure that They have a variety of other nasty chemicals in them, especially the 'tar' that everything is packed in. I remember a thread on here that discussed it.

non-pcb ballst can be sold at some scrap yards as steal. I even have an e-srap buyer in orlando, fl that buys them. Go to www.arcoa.com, send them a email from teir web site and they will send you a price list. They have several locations around the contry. The old ballast from 1970 or earlyer are very toxic, I don't even touch them.

Once u get a rythym these are are easy to bust open just be prepared to deal with the waste that comes out of them

About 100gms of copper in the most common - longest tube floresent ballast.

What sort are they, cased in tar or the white painted more modern sort. You end up with a HEAP of clip.......

I find a 4.5 angle grinder works great cut each side of the copper doughnut off then punch whats inside the steel casing right out. Some of the large non pcb ballasts I find have a couple lbs of copper in them, its real thick like a spaghetti noodle.