Compressor day

[freonjoe]

Missed the last few weeks of breaking down compressors so I started on a few of them today. Got through 40 compressors (810 pounds). Took 5 hours, seems to take longer when it's cold outside! Got 12 pounds of oil and 64 poiunds of copper windings. Still have a little over 100 compressors to go but most of them are from a/c's. Not my favorite ones to do because so many of them have copper clad aluminum windings.

[IronPirate]

nice job, how long did it take to accumulate that many compressors?

[freonjoe]

I get 20 or 30 refrigerator compressors and 10 to 15 a/c compressors a week.

[eesakiwi]

I'm finding the fridge compressors weigh about 9Kg each.

Sold as 'Elec. Motors' & @ NZ$.70 cents a Kg. (US$0.56cents a Kg)
They are worth NZ$6.30 (or US$5 each).

However I just talked to my buyer, who said that I "Won't get 'Elec. Motors' price for them as they cannot actually see the copper wire in them".

So as general iron they seem to be worth NZ$110 a ton (US$80 a metric Ton (1000Kgs))
or NZ$1 each (US$0.80cents each)

After I cut them open I get NZ$7+ for the copper wire (1Kg) & because the rest of the steel is now 'Solid'.
I now get ~ NZ$2.50 for the casing.....

Not bad eh? I start off with $1 & turn it into $10!

[freonjoe]

Here they won't pay electric motor prices for them. It's either 10 cents a pound or part them out. How many do you do a week?

[Big Tex]

I have 1500 lbs. of compressor's. Called around yesterday for prices. Very dissapointing! Seems all yards only pay .10 to .15 cents lbs. I thought I read on here where someone was getting .23 cents to .40 lbs.

[ozzy214]

Big tex, you around Pa by chance? I would give ya 25c a lb for them......:> Doubt it thought by ya name lol

[Big Tex]

Thanks for the offer Ozzy. I would accept that in a heart beat, but Im in Texas!

[Russryleee]

WHat part of texas you in Big Tex?

[Big Tex]

San Antonio

[ozzy214]

Ya no worries there man. Im only a small time scrapper, but reason I would buy...is I would take time to cut them up for the pound to 2 pounds of copper in them. Shame ya not closer..lol. :>

[tryingtoscrap]

Wait so inside compressors, there is oil and copper yes? I don't understand so please don't be like I JUST SAID THE ANSWER!!

[freonjoe]

A few ounces of oil and a pound or so of copper on the smaller ones.

[eesakiwi]

Here they won't pay electric motor prices for them. It's either 10 cents a pound or part them out. How many do you do a week?

Averagely, about 3~7 a week, more like 4 med size ones.

I scrapped a Tall commercial fridge motor a while ago (coulda been a AC).
I found there was 3 spot weld marks around the outside.
So I wound a long strip of paper around the case, one edge over the centre of the spotwelds & marked a line there.
Then I went & cut right around the line with the angle grinder. Then bashed the case apart.
From there I could slide out the rotator armature shaft & once that was out I found I could lift & bash it down onto a concrete pad & the copper windings & lamination part slipped out.

I'm surprised it wasn't welded in place too.

First time Idid one I had decided it wasn't worth the work, but I'm always learning...
Learnt a lot since I found this site too.

That shaft, inside the laminations there was x8, 2 inch square by 1/8th thick, neodymium (I think) really really strong magnets.
They chip/break really easy too, take yah time & they will slide out.

[freonjoe]

Once you learn the different types of compressors (piston,rotary,scroll) you'll learn where to cut them and get them apart a lot faster.

[eesakiwi]

Once you learn the different types of compressors (piston,rotary,scroll) you'll learn where to cut them and get them apart a lot faster.

Yep, the difference in time between the two commercial compressors was about...
One hour.