Perhaps you’ve been working on some fall cleaning and need to dump a bit of that clutter accumulating around the house. Maybe you’ve picked through the crème de la crème, tagging and bagging those prime pieces to sell off, only to find yourself in that most unenviable of situations: simply trashing the rest, or plotting giveaways to friends, neighbors and twice-removed relatives.
A good bit of that mess will inevitably go in the trash. But consider: you’re still paying someone to take it away for you. And it goes to a dump. To sit. Why not get paid instead? Just look for metals to scrap. You might be surprised what you can get rid of and what it can net you in cold, hard cash. And, of course, your scrap is reused in the process. It’s a win-win.
Home Appliances
A good place to start is with any old appliances you might have around the house. Larger appliances are where you’ll pick up the most money—ovens, washers and dryers, refrigerators, water heaters. But even smaller appliances—often made with aluminum or steel—can be scrapped. If it’s made with aluminum, which is a non-ferrous metal, it will be more valuable than ferrous metals like steel, which contain iron. You can use a magnet to test for ferrous metals. If the magnet sticks, it’s a ferrous metal. If not, you could be looking at non-ferrous components. Non-ferrous metals can bring you anywhere from 30 cents to $2 per pound, while the per-pound rate for ferrous metals will run closer to 10 cents.
Your appliances, especially older models, can also contain copper, which is non-ferrous and among the most lucrative of recyclable metals. Look for copper coils and wiring. Like with other scrap metals, there are different grades for copper which will net you various prices at the scrap yard. However, copper prices will be on the high end for recyclable metals.
Additional household appliances you can scrap include:
-dishwashers
-freezers
-microwaves
-small electrical appliances
If in doubt, contact the scrap metal recycling center or check their website to see what they accept.
Plumbing Fixtures
Look for copper and brass. You can earn big bucks here. Copper has more of a red color to it, while brass is generally yellow. Plumbing pipes and fittings are great sources for both. Check bathroom faucets, door handles and light fixtures as well. Unless you’ve recently undergone renovations or do contracting work, you’re unlikely to have many of these pieces at the ready for scrapping purposes. Make sure you don’t overlook these profitable scrap metals the next time you renovate.
More Aluminum and Copper
You can find aluminum in old electronic devices like computers and gaming consoles, as well as car parts and bike frames. Keep in mind that the best way to recoup money on scrap metals from items like old TVs or computer monitors may take more time and expertise, or a sufficient quantity of these items, to be worth the effort. You can harvest some copper wiring from these items, but generally not anything that will earn you more than a couple dollars per unit, and that’s if you’re lucky. The same goes for the additional metals you might forage out of them, including small amounts of aluminum and stainless steel. Old electronics like these can also be a pain to rip apart and dissect.
Other Odds and Ends
Lamps, grills and lawnmowers can also be scrapped. Cars, chairs and shelves are good places to look for steel. House siding and lawn furniture are potential sources for aluminum. And while it’s been phased out of many newer products due to its corrosive nature, iron can be found in older pipes, barbecues and gas heaters.
For non-ferrous metals (the most valuable, if you’ll recall), additional examples include tin, nickel, zinc and lead. Zinc and lead can be found in such items as car batteries and wheel weights.
Scrap Metal Recycling at a Scrap Yard Near Me
If you’re still unsure of what you have, or just don’t have the time to analyze and sort your items, we at Roane Metals Group can help. Our scrap metal recycling team is comprised of experts at identifying metals and using honest weights, ensuring you receive top dollar for your scrap. We accept all kinds of scrap metal, even those you can’t identify, and will give you cash in exchange for it. We service individuals as well as commercial and industrial groups. If you have scrap metal to unload, bring it to one of our two scrap yards in East Tennessee. You can also give us a call at 865-354-4282 or check us out online for more information about scrap metal recycling.