What are water heaters worth?

[graymatter]

I'M NEW AT THIS, AND WANT TO KNOW IF WATER HEATERS ARE WORTH THE TROUBLE? THE ONE i PICKED UP HAS FOAM STUCK ALL AROUND IT . hOW DO i GET IT OFF/ OR DO i JUST LEAVE IT ON?

[Ecycle Atlanta]

2 thoughts:

First, THANK YOU for not calling it a HOT water heater...I mean, whats the point of heating water thats already hot?
Second, I did a number of these awhile ago and found it easier just to remove any outside worthwhile components (brass fittings come to mind) and take the rest in to the yard. I do recommend that you cut into one and break it down completely just for the experience, but i think you will find it to be a major pain and the insulation is not fun to deal with. Pulling, scraping, etc of the insulation is the only way I can think of but just not worth it IMO.

[webuyselltradestuff]

2 thoughts:

First, THANK YOU for not calling it a HOT water heater...I mean, whats the point of heating water thats already hot?
Second, I did a number of these awhile ago and found it easier just to remove any outside worthwhile components (brass fittings come to mind) and take the rest in to the yard. I do recommend that you cut into one and break it down completely just for the experience, but i think you will find it to be a major pain and the insulation is not fun to deal with. Pulling, scraping, etc of the insulation is the only way I can think of but just not worth it IMO.

this is exactly what to do. the few I have even messed with, I just pulled the outside bit and any wire I could EASILY get to under the main cover....rest went on the trailer as shred. Make sure the thing it basically empty (you can tell when you move it around)...many yards will FROWN if you bring them one full of water and then they decide to check it. you can always pop a hole as needed to drain.

Again, I am one that does NOT go out of my way to get scrap such as this...the payout is just TOO low for the work involved. If it comes in as a by product of the other things I take (I generally only do ewaste, but sometimes someone will have something like this to get rid of and I will take it). Steel running .02-.06/lb....yeah, not worth my back LOL

[Tincankeith]

You need to call your local yard some of them require you cut a hole in tanks big enough to look into.

[Mechanic688]

You need to call your local yard some of them require you cut a hole in tanks big enough to look into.

That is usually any kind of fuel tank/can. (propane,kerosene,etc)

**I Stand corrected as different yards have different policies for any kind of tanks. I only know what my yard likes.

[Tincankeith]

That is usually any kind of fuel tank/can. (propane,kerosene,etc)

I told him to call because the several yards by me some require holes to be cut (or even in half) any tank; water, gas, oil even scuba tanks.

[hobo finds]

I also remove the dirty alum control box on the outside of the tank and scrap it as is.

[wayne1956]

I also remove the dirty alum control box on the outside of the tank and scrap it as is.

I have been removing them also and putting them in buckets. I have planned on taking one apart when I get time to see if it is worth breaking down further, or just let them go as is for dirty aluminum. Even dirty aluminum .25 lb. is better than .06 shred.

[engraj]

I remove any brass, copper, aluminum pieces and toss them in buckets, then the whole tank insulation and all goes in the srapper truck and the yard takes it as light iron scrap. Low value but very heavy. It all ads up��

[eesakiwi]

Are these Copper cylinders or Steel hot water cylinders?

[Mechanic688]

steel w/ a layer of insulation then an outer jacket of decorative tin. Gas or electric. These are a big storage tank of water that is kept at a certain temp. Newer ones are tankless, or commonly called hot water on demand.
A lot of people still use the tank style because of price.

[Patriot76]

In my area I throw them on top of a load of unprepared iron and they buy them at that price. This is also true for appliances, tin sheets, barb wire, etc. My loads are between three and five tons so it is assumed they do not want to send me over the scale a second time for such a small amount. It is usually $ 25 - $ 40 over shred price. By removing the brass fittings and valve for my non ferrous collection creates a large enough hole for my yard.

[JohnC4X4]

I have 2 plumbers that drop them off
So I get 2 or 3 a week
Be sure to remove the overpressure value and the drain valve
ALSO sometimes they leave some short nubs of copper on the goes in and goes out at the top of the tank

After I remove the good stuff >> Tank goes into the next vehicle heading for the scale/squisher

[newattitude]

2 thoughts:

First, THANK YOU for not calling it a HOT water heater...I mean, whats the point of heating water thats already hot?
Second, I did a number of these awhile ago and found it easier just to remove any outside worthwhile components (brass fittings come to mind) and take the rest in to the yard. I do recommend that you cut into one and break it down completely just for the experience, but i think you will find it to be a major pain and the insulation is not fun to deal with. Pulling, scraping, etc of the insulation is the only way I can think of but just not worth it IMO.

Instead of the grammar police we have the ''technical'' police? I've called them 'hot water tanks' all my life, is it really worth splitting hairs over? that wasn't the OP's question anyways (what to call them). For cripes sake.

[DakotaRog]

What's a "drinking fountain" called in your area? I have a friend at work that grew up in Wis. (which isn't that far away from here) and they call them (I think) "water bubblers". I would have looked at him blankly if he would have asked me that one...

P.S. Anyone ever use the term "owly"?? Another colleague who grew up in Vermont was fasinated when his daughter who was in high school here used that term. He had never heard of it. He must have asked about a dozen people at work and only those generally from around here knew what it meant. Do you??

Sorry for the hijack but why not...???

[hobo finds]

I would think that "hot water tanks or hot water heaters" would be ok after all that is what the tank is to do once you add water, gas or electric to get it working! Would not have to do much with a "cold water tank" if you wanted water that was not "hot"!

[jimicrk]

What's a "drinking fountain" called in your area? I have a friend at work that grew up in Wis. (which isn't that far away from here) and they call them (I think) "water bubblers". I would have looked at him blankly if he would have asked me that one...

P.S. Anyone ever use the term "owly"?? Another colleague who grew up in Vermont was fasinated when his daughter who was in high school here used that term. He had never heard of it. He must have asked about a dozen people at work and only those generally from around here knew what it meant. Do you??

Sorry for the hijack but why not...???

According to the urban dictionary owly means cranky or grumpy.

[jimicrk]

I would think that "hot water tanks or hot water heaters" would be ok after all that is what the tank is to do once you add water, gas or electric to get it working! Would not have to do much with a "cold water tank" if you wanted water that was not "hot"!

About 6 years ago my hot water heater needed to be replaced and I decided I was going to do it myself. I didn't want to move it full of water so I got my hose pipe from the garden and connected it to the hot water heater and drained it.

[DakotaRog]

jimicrk-- A+ on finding out what owly means. Just wondering if you've ever heard it used or have used it??

[sawmilleng]

Dakota: My family sez I get owly all the time! In common use on this end of Canajer!! Owly: crabby, irritable, uncommunicative.

We use "pop" up here for "sodas" that I think is pretty common south of the 49th...

Here's an older one: the early '50s Caterpillar diesel tractors had a little gasoline engine starting motor- up here it was called a "pup" motor, in the US it was called a "pony" motor, in the UK and I think Australia it was called a "donkey" motor. Some of the big old John Deere two cylinder diesel tractors had them, too.

Jon.