Scrapping Boilers [Answers]

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

Not to sound dumb, but if you look at the middle hot water heater (since a few have called hot water heaters, boilers), what is the coil in the middle one, is that copper?

If so, well that sucks!

That coil is a heat exchanger. I would assume they are aluminum as it transfers heat much more efficiently then copper. So being the lowest value of metal,
according to you, it is a waste of time trying to get it out.

Originally Posted by injunjoe

That coil is a heat exchanger. I would assume they are aluminum as it transfers heat much more efficiently then copper. So being the lowest value of metal,
according to you, it is a waste of time trying to get it out.

Joe,

Like I clearly stated the other day, in the other thread, that just because it is the LOWEST (for me) does not mean that I don't collect it, and cash it in. Heck, I even collect soda cans and cash them in too. I mainly do that because we drink a lot of code, mt dew, pepsi etc and it is all cans, so me as a recycler, recycle them.

In the post about that guys beer truck, what I was getting at, was depending on the price of aluminum of what it would be at the time, would be a factor if it is worth it or not.

It has been a while since I have turned in aluminum, because like copper, brass, wire, and batteries, I save it up.

Looks like my saw zall and grinder will be doing some more work now.

Originally Posted by injunjoe

That coil is a heat exchanger. I would assume they are aluminum as it transfers heat much more efficiently then copper. So being the lowest value of metal,
according to you, it is a waste of time trying to get it out.

The heat exchanger is made of either aluminium or stainless steel but not because they transfer heat more efficiently than copper. Only silver is better than copper for this, the reason copper isn't generally used is because at the high temperatures it is subjected to by the flue gases it tends to warp as its expansion rate is much greater than aluminum and steel. There are a number of different boiler types. The older direct immersion heaters using heating elements, with a back boiler and side mounted immersion heaters, then the indirect heat exchanging boilers using heat exchangers with an optional heating element and the newer much more efficient condensing boilers which can easily be recognised with a plastic flue pipe to release condensed gases. Newer boilers generally have 2 heat exchangers. One is a large block at the bottom made of eitehr stainless steel or aluminium and the secondary one is a brick shaped stainless steel finned block weighing around 2kg. Older boilers may have a lower grade of stainless steel used for their primary heat exchanger as these had the problem of corroding over time as water vapour condensed in them. They also had ones made of copper.