Junkyard Appliance Policy

Hey everyone. I recently started scrapping and i'm slowly learning things. Like always having a magnet in my back pocket, for instance. I've also figured out it's better to stockpile the little stuff like batteries, copper, brass, alum, clean lead, wheel weights, motherboards, processors, etc. until they are at a higher then average price. I make 3-5 runs per week with just steel and iron.

Things were going fine and getting better until my junkyard recently released a new policy. They don't accept any type of appliance due to the mercury in them. What I am wondering is if this is just my junkyard or if this policy exists everywhere? And if you can't take your fridge to the junkyard then where can you take it??? I would be much obliged for any help on this, thanks.

I'm allowed to take whatever I want.. the only restriction I had was fridges had to have a sticker saying a licensed HVAC person evacuated the freon.. So to fix this I bought the gear and took the course. But we are way behind the times (canada) I can still legally hand out cash for someone that walked in my driveway with a wheelbarrow full of copper. That is soon to change because they are trying to make it a law.. I'm all for it but I'm the small guy so I'm not going to hassle people until the bigger yards have to.

I see. About how much did that equipment cost? Also, would they even be able to tell what it is if I cut it up with my sawsall?

Im sure if you cut it up you will be ok. But when you are doing it make sure you don't cut open the mercury items. You should be able to remove switches and what ever else has the mercury in them. My yard takes appliances as is, even freon.

Junkyards aren't going to accept anything where you are trying to pass on the environmentally responsibility to them. Like propane tanks, pcp ballasts, microwaves which have batteries in it, Refrigerators with the enclosed motor on it, air conditioning units. Any yard that will accept them is breaking various environmental laws unless they are doing the disposing of it themselves. The fines for releasing freon into the environment is a major major no no according to the epa. Unless you have the aforementioned machine in this post then that's the only way to properly dispose of it. Heres a great link

http://cfpub.epa.gov/compliance/rece...ions/index.cfm

The only mercury we've found in appliances is in chest freezers. Most of the older ones have a mercury switch for the light. My recycliing yard needs to have the refrigerant removed and documented but they still take units with the compressors in them.

In some states the mercury switch can be turned in for a few dollars you might want to do some research on it. I know they do it for older cars in some states to. Remember once it goes through the shredder that cars mercury is splashed all over the frag which is melted into parts the me and you use everday.

Originally Posted by hobo finds

Im sure if you cut it up you will be ok. But when you are doing it make sure you don't cut open the mercury items. You should be able to remove switches and what ever else has the mercury in them. My yard takes appliances as is, even freon.

Yeah, I strip the fridges clean of their copper before I do anything else. Although i'm not sure where the switches are in them. And is there any easy way of getting into the big motors located on the bottom of the fridge? I have taken a sawsall and a sledgehammer to it an only succeeded in denting it or obliterating my blade.

I don't scrap many big appliances. A couple years ago I scrapped a shed and refrig that was on my brother-in-laws property. I hauled the shed in first (in a borrowed truck from my old work) and asked the guy at the counter "I have a refridgerator to get rid of. What do I do?" He told me "Either pay x amount for us to take it, provide me proof that it was pumped by a facility...or I need to see that the compressor has been separated from the casing." So I replied "So...I can go cut the lines and pull out the guts and run it over the scale?" To which he replied "No...I legally can't tell you that. But if I see it's separated, obviously I know theres no freon in it".

That was back when I was dumb. So, I admit to potentionally destroying part of the ozone layer. Like I said...DUMB.

But at the same point in time, if they don't accept appliances with merc switches, then they shouldn't accept vehicles. Vehicles have merc switches in them. Just sayin.

Originally Posted by David

Yeah, I strip the fridges clean of their copper before I do anything else. Although i'm not sure where the switches are in them. And is there any easy way of getting into the big motors located on the bottom of the fridge? I have taken a sawsall and a sledgehammer to it an only succeeded in denting it or obliterating my blade.

9 inch Angle grinder or plasma cutter, just under the weld line.

2 Lbs of copper in there.

Originally Posted by eesakiwi

9 inch Angle grinder or plasma cutter, just under the weld line.

2 Lbs of copper in there.

Ha ha, yeah, I could see it all in there, just couldn't get at it. But now I know, thanks!

Originally Posted by Mechanic688

I never seen a battery operated microwave,,,

Really really micro microwaves......

'Waves'

This knowledge will keep a perfect interest to make a good desire in making the option to earn money on the junk appliances.