Water Heater Scrap
Scrapping water heaters is a great way to earn extra cash. Water heater scrap, while it may not seem so initially, the scrap metal business can be very lucrative if you are willing to do a bit of work.
Collecting enough scrap metal to make a decent amount of money takes time, but scrapping a water heater has lots of metal value for someone who is willing to take the time to break it down.
Make certain you have a few tools handy after you have drained your tank for scrapping a water heater.You will need a heavy hammer, pipe wrench and possibly a multi-saw.
Look over your tank for any non-ferrous metals. Use a magnet to determine what is and what is not non-ferrous. If the magnet sticks, it is a ferrous metal.
Determine if your heater was gas or electric. A gas heater has a gas regulator near the base made up of brass and an aluminum/zinc combination. Many have brass knobs also.
These regulators often bring more than a standard scrap price; you can remove them with a heavy hammer.If you are knowledgeable, reselling them is the better way to go; they command a pretty price up to a third of the value of a new heater.
Scrapping an electric water heater does not have the same value as a gas heater, but there is value. The heating elements inside the tank are made of copper.
If you remove the cover on the temperature control module on the front of the old water heater, depending on the model you have, there are 2 nice sized rolls of copper wire.Remove the rolls of copper and set them aside with the rest of your copper scrap.
One of the best places to find water heaters to scrap is apartment complexes. This is another opportunity for you to set up an arrangement to haul away metal goods.
If you are scrapping a water heater that is gas powered, do not smoke around the heater especially when handling the temperature control module.