Results 1 to 10 of 10

A.c. compressors

| Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
  1. #1
    BigJon started this thread.
    BigJon's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    214
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 123 Times in 69 Posts

    A.c. compressors

    I've got a few 20-30# compressors from old window a.c. units that I want to try to sell just to get out of the way. I haven't drained it or cut anything on it due to not being able to scrap without being certified to drain them.
    Was curious if anybody knew about what a fair price to sell them for would be if I sell them to a buyer that can handle the draining properly? Thanks for the help!



  2. #2
    AdmiralAluminum's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Ontario
    Posts
    737
    Thanks
    824
    Thanked 968 Times in 415 Posts
    It's just the compressors? You don't have to be certified to drain the oil and if they're already detached from the a/c unit they shouldn't have any freon in them, it would have been released when the compressor was separated from the radiator coils.
    METAL IS MY MISTRESS...PLEASE DON'T TELL MY WIFE!

  3. #3
    BigJon started this thread.
    BigJon's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    214
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 123 Times in 69 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by AdmiralAluminum View Post
    It's just the compressors? You don't have to be certified to drain the oil and if they're already detached from the a/c unit they shouldn't have any freon in them, it would have been released when the compressor was separated from the radiator coils.
    Awesome. Yea, it's just the compressors. Found a few that were already separated from the a.c. units during a clean out I did a while back. I've just had them sitting in a corner since then cause I figured you couldn't drain them legally lol. Glad I asked, I was about to take a loss selling them cheap to somebody that could scrap them just to get rid of them lol. I never realized how big of motors they had in them til recently. Thanks Admiral!

    -Rushes to delete ad off craigslist- lol

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to BigJon for This Post:


  5. #4
    wayne1956's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Cleburne, TX
    Posts
    705
    Thanks
    195
    Thanked 754 Times in 293 Posts
    You probably will need to drain the oil out of them though. Most yards will not take them with the oil still in, as they do not want to pay for the weight of the oil, or have the oil make a big mess. You can easily drain the oil through one of the holes in the compressor where the copper line went into it. Some folks cut them open for the windings in the motor, but me personally find they are too much of a pita. They have a coating of shellac or varnish that makes the windings hard to get out, and the strings hard to remove. Not to mention the steel casing is harder to cut through than a fridge compressor. If I could figure a way of easily and economically removing the coating, I might change my mind and start cutting more open. I have about 25 whole window AC units I am waiting to process until I can get the Freon evac'd.
    Last edited by wayne1956; 02-27-2015 at 11:32 AM.

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to wayne1956 for This Post:


  7. #5
    AdmiralAluminum's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Ontario
    Posts
    737
    Thanks
    824
    Thanked 968 Times in 415 Posts
    No problem. As wayne said, call your yard and see what they want you to do to them before selling. My yard takes them with oil but every yard is different.

  8. #6
    1956's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Fort lauderdale FL The Venice of The USA
    Posts
    642
    Thanks
    399
    Thanked 1,276 Times in 348 Posts
    They are sold as sealed units, in most parts of the country.

  9. #7
    bigburtchino's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Mar 2011
    Location
    California
    Posts
    1,647
    Thanks
    4,388
    Thanked 2,835 Times in 1,132 Posts
    Why not drain the oil and cut them open? It's really not that hard to turn a couple of sealed units into a couple of pounds of #2 copper, heavy steel and light steel. From one grade of scrap you could with little effort have three! I even have found a half dozen uses for the oil. Just a suggestion, but each one us has to do what works for us!

  10. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by bigburtchino:


  11. #8
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Dec 2012
    Location
    elkton,md
    Posts
    1,062
    Thanks
    8,524
    Thanked 1,470 Times in 600 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by bigburtchino View Post
    Why not drain the oil and cut them open? It's really not that hard to turn a couple of sealed units into a couple of pounds of #2 copper, heavy steel and light steel. From one grade of scrap you could with little effort have three! I even have found a half dozen uses for the oil. Just a suggestion, but each one us has to do what works for us!

    I second that. Bust them bad boys down!
    And do a little more reading in the archives on this topic.

  12. #9
    DevinThaScrapper's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Nebraska
    Posts
    588
    Thanks
    120
    Thanked 605 Times in 247 Posts
    Yep there's like 500 threads on a/c units and compressors. I personally don't cut because some a/c ones have another shell around the copper motor on the inside and it takes a whole grinder disc to get into one!!! Not saying it's not worth it for you but some of them are killers so I just drain and turn in for .08 /lb. just turned in 600lbs from a/c's

  13. #10
    hobo finds's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Nov 2010
    Location
    tucson, az
    Posts
    4,758
    Thanks
    6,037
    Thanked 5,910 Times in 2,556 Posts
    In Dec I got $.15 a pound for them as is, oil and all... I am sure price is lower now


  14. Similar threads on the Scrap Metal Forum

    1. A/C Compressors
      By poundigity24 in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 14
      Last Post: 05-08-2023, 08:40 PM
    2. Compressors
      By C.M.HUNTER in forum Dismantling, Breaking Down & Maximizing Scrap
      Replies: 14
      Last Post: 12-21-2018, 02:06 PM
    3. another day of compressors
      By freonjoe in forum Dismantling, Breaking Down & Maximizing Scrap
      Replies: 31
      Last Post: 08-13-2012, 10:31 AM
    4. AC compressors
      By Copper Head in forum A Day in the Life of a Scrapper
      Replies: 2
      Last Post: 05-29-2012, 09:12 PM

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

 
Browse the Most Recent Threads
On SMF In THIS CATEGORY.





OR

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

The Scrap Metal Forum

    The Scrap Metal Forum is the #1 scrap metal recycling community in the world. Here we talk about the scrap metal business, making money, where we connect with other scrappers, scrap yards and more.

SMF on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter Facebook