I scrapped a drinking fountain today.... not fun.

One of those full size stand alone drinking fountains. What I got from it....

copper tubing, large brass tube, medium brass nut that held the drinking spigot, copper windings from a fan motor, a small aluminum & copper radiator, the wire from the power cord, and a large coil of soldered copper tubing

The fan's four large windings were a real pain to get out .... I had to chisel thru the windings on one side, once they were cut I had to rip it out with pliers. Not easy.

The radiator I cut the copper tubing links off with a hacksaw, removed the steel sides & left it at that. I am done attempting to cut the copper tubes out of the radiator. just not worth the frustration, time & strenuous labor it takes.

The copper tubing coil was the hardest. it was wrapped around a small tank & soldered to it. The whole coil was all soldered together. I had to take a chisel & cut all the way down the side and break off what copper tubes I could , bit by bit until I got it all off the tank. Was not fun at all. Is there an easier way?

Give me your next one and I will figure out an easier way. :-0 would love to do a fountain haven't had the pleasure yet.

Mabye it was just this model that was very hard to tear apart. I get that with microwaves every once in a while. I've done a few in the past and don't remember them being all that hard to tear into. However, the ones I did were very old.

What did you do with the compressor? I have two & think I will scrap them rather than store then as they will never get used anyway. Too many projects.

With the fan motor, if its hard to get the copper wire out because of the varnish insulation, I cut thru one end of the loop & burn the insulation off in a fire.
The copper gets softer & loose & easy to pull out.

hey dirtymoney also a angle grinder with a metal cutting wheel is the easiest way to cut off the copper loops sticking out of a motor then you can pull it out or like said above burning makes it really easy but get a hot fire and burn till all plastic is out of windings.

You don't mention the actual top of the unit itself. Was it not stainless?

Did it look something like this?

http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/...TRFount001.jpg

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Originally Posted by dirtymoney

Is there an easier way?

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Two Words: Power Tools

The coil is in that foam part. I tore apart a kent wood watercooler and I was happy with what I found. Took maybe 10 minutes as it was my first one. Had nice copper tubes. Copper alum radiator and a small compressor which I cut open later on. The surrounding was all plastic though. Alot of plastic.

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Originally Posted by toula

The coil is in that foam part. I tore apart a kent wood watercooler and I was happy with what I found. Took maybe 10 minutes as it was my first one. Had nice copper tubes. Copper alum radiator and a small compressor which I cut open later on. The surrounding was all plastic though. Alot of plastic.

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Yes, the styrofoam just peels off.

I found an old one in the woods a while ago. It was filled with small styrofoam balls (smaller than peas) for insulation. Cleaned up styrofoam balls for weeks.

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Originally Posted by erewen

I found an old one in the woods a while ago. It was filled with small styrofoam balls (smaller than peas) for insulation. Cleaned up styrofoam balls for weeks.

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I was driving on the freeway one day and ran into what looked like a huge load of large gravel rocks bouncing along the roadway, these things were bouncing and flying everywhere! I bout near freaked out just waiting on some major crunches, it was almost surreal, something off a sci-fi flick! I eventually realized it must have been large grey styrofoam packing peanuts, something like a box truck full, bouncing around mercilessly in the middle of a main freeway through town. Man, what a trip!

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Originally Posted by Mick

Yes, the styrofoam just peels off.

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to date, I have only scrapped one of these. The styrofoam was glued to the coil. Helluva mess :-/

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Originally Posted by Mick

Did it look something like this?

http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/...TRFount001.jpg

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Exactly like that.

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Originally Posted by Ditchdigger

You don't mention the actual top of the unit itself. Was it not stainless?

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I only keep copper, brass, and some aluminum. I dont have the space or the hauling ability to deal with iron, steel & similar metals.

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Originally Posted by eesakiwi

What did you do with the compressor? I have two & think I will scrap them rather than store then as they will never get used anyway. Too many projects.

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I dont know how to scrap those. I have never seen the inside of one. I doubt I could get one open very easily. I dont have a lot of experience with major power tools. A hacksaw is what i am comfortable with.

http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/...lercoil003.jpg

This was the copper coil in the styrofoam that was inside the cooler pictured above. If I remember, I just used a pair of channel locks to break it loose from the tank it was tack welded to after I made the cut using a Sawzall you can see. But rca987 is right - power tools help. I used a 7" grinder and Sawzall for a lot of it. Used a putty knife to scrape the foam insulation from the tank.

edit - thinking about it - there wasn't a tank inside the coils. They were surrounded by insulating foam.

The compresor you can sell whole, you don't have to open it. the radiator you can sell whole also. The spote that the water comes out of is most of thetime brass and the top is stainless. sounds to me your doing a lot of work for nothing. why are you scrapping if you don't have the means to do it? That's like trying to open a store and you don't have a building. Just my .02

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Originally Posted by happyscraper

The compresor you can sell whole, you don't have to open it. the radiator you can sell whole also. The spote that the water comes out of is most of thetime brass and the top is stainless. sounds to me your doing a lot of work for nothing. why are you scrapping if you don't have the means to do it? That's like trying to open a store and you don't have a building. Just my .02

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To fill my time, make a little money to put into my savings ,and I like dismantling stuff. I like to make a night of it in the shop dismantling things and stripping wire while blasting music. Its cathartic . I dont really like tearing down stuff that is very hard to do. I am more used to dismantling smaller stuff. Stuff that just requires screwdrivers, wrenches .... at most a hammer, chisel & hacksaw. I DO have access to some powertools, but I'm afraid I am going to hurt myself with them. I am just not used to using them all that much. Drill and a bench grinder/wire wheel are the only pwertools I am comfortable with.

Like I said... I have a ton of free time on my hands & this is just a thing I do for enjoyment for the most part. I dont really need the money from it. I make a living wage (little that it is) and I am incredibly frugal (I dont like spending money). Same thing with my metal detecting hobby. I dont do it to make money.

I did not say you had to have power tools. screw drivers,wire snips,hammer,pliers is about all you need. Since your not out to make a killing then like I said sell the compressor whole you do not have to take it apart same with the radiators. These things are not that hard to take apart. Don't give up because it gets easier the more you do. Start out with a small power tool like an electric screw driver then slowly move up to the bigger ones. The only way you'll get comfortable with them is to start using them a little at a time.

I had to chisel thru the windings on one side, once they were cut I had to rip it out with pliers..

Hey, Anybody have an idea on how much a compressor from one of those weighs? I figure I'd ask here instead of making a new thread. I was quoted 18 cents a pound by my local scrapyard. I dont have the skills, patience or the tools to open up one of them for the copper so I am just going to sell it whole. I think I know where I can get several more also.

I wanna see how much I can get for them to see if its worth toting them to the yard.

You will probably at the very least have to drill the compressor out. I'd ask to be sure - mine take them as long as they are drilled out

ETA: I just checked one of my tickets and I had taken 3 of those in and the total weight was a little over 60 lbs for the 3 of them

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Originally Posted by newattitude

You will probably at the very least have to drill the compressor out. I'd ask to be sure - mine take them as long as they are drilled out

ETA: I just checked one of my tickets and I had taken 3 of those in and the total weight was a little over 60 lbs for the 3 of them

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What do you mean "drilled out"? I called up my scrap yard & he just said that they pay 18 cents per pound for every sealed compressor. I weighed the four I have (three small and one medium that is tall) & it came up to 109 pounds.... which is about $20. Doesnt seem worth it. I am going to attempt to cut open one soon to extract the copper windings from the motor and whatever else is in there.

Most yards make you drill a hole in compressors and drain the oil.

If there is a lot of foam, then couldn't you burn the whole fountain? It may weaken the metal, and it may also drop its value. However the copper should still be preserved right? After all that's what some people do with their wires. I dunno just a thought.

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Originally Posted by adamperak

If there is a lot of foam, then couldn't you burn the whole fountain? It may weaken the metal, and it may also drop its value. However the copper should still be preserved right? After all that's what some people do with their wires. I dunno just a thought.

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Its not good for the environment to burn things.

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Originally Posted by brandon

Its not good for the environment to burn things.

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but it is sure fun to !