Recycling Refrigerators and Other Appliances for Profit

Used RefrigeratorsRefrigerators are very expensive household appliances and, unfortunately, they’re a necessity in our home. Therefore, when they go on the fritz, they need to be repaired or replaced as quickly as possible. When refrigerators stop working properly, it’s often the compressor that’s bad and needs to be replaced or repaired, which raises the question of what to do with the old compressor.

Why Recycling is a Great Idea for your Refrigerator Compressors

Recycling is the solution that makes the most sense. Recycling will not only help prevent our landfills from getting full before their time, which will help keep our environment green but can also bring you in some extra cash. Many people are becoming involved in recycling for not only the many benefits it gives to the environment but also for the money they are paid for their recyclables. Refrigerator compressors may not be the first thing that you think of in terms of a weekly trip to the recycling center but they are definitely not something you should forget! There are many excellent reasons for recycling your old refrigerator.

Your older refrigerator can consume up to four times more energy than some of the newer energy efficient refrigerators on the market today. Whether you’re using an older refrigerator in the garage or have been nickeling and diming your kitchen refrigerator, consider replacing it with a new model and you’ll save a couple hundred dollars each year in energy costs.

Refrigerators contain components that may be toxic or hazardous to our health and the environment. If the refrigerator was manufactured prior to 1995, it may contain a refrigerant called chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). When CFC is released in the environment, it can damage the earth’s protective ozone layer. Older CFC refrigerators can also affect the global climate change with their greenhouse gases.

Components of a Refrigerator Manufactured Prior to 1995

By recycling your old refrigerator, you’re helping to improve the condition of the environment for yourself and generations to come. Older refrigerators are also insulated with foam that contains harmful gases that contribute to both climate change and depletion of the ozone layer. The compressor is the largest and most recyclable part of your refrigerator. Now that you’re aware of the many reasons why your should recycle your old refrigerator, let’s learn a little about how the recycling process works and how to make the most money doing it.Refrigerator Parts

Delivery or Pick-up Available

Recycling of refrigerator compressors is so important that many recycling centers will pick up your compressors or the entire refrigerator at your home if delivering it is inconvenient for you. Many areas have set up programs designed to encourage individuals to recycle their used refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners or just the compressors for these appliances. In most cases, you’ll make more of a profit if you bring the refrigerator compressor to the center as opposed to having them pick it up.

The state of Texas has a refrigerator-recycling center that will come to your home, pick up your old refrigerator or freezer and pay you $35 for each appliance. In the state of California, you’re prohibited from dumping your old refrigerator in a landfill but recycling centers will pay you for your old refrigerator or the compressor. Not a bad way to make a few extra bucks and get rid of old junk in the process! However, by taking out the compressor yourself and shopping around for the best recycling center, you can make even more money.

Don’t know if you were aware of this or not but the average old (10 years or older) refrigerator contains about 10 pounds of glass, 75 pounds of plastic and 160 pounds of steel! By taking your refrigerator or freezer to a recycling center, the metals and harmful refrigerants are taken out in a way that’s environmentally safe. Knowledge of this information may help you decide if you want to have your entire refrigerator picked up for recycling or if you want to attempt to take out the compressor yourself and take it to your local recycling center.

Refrigerator CompressorWhile many don’t want to be bothered with taking the compressor off, others that are mechanically inclined do this often enough that they’re not only comfortable but find they make more money recycling it this way. You may want to check with your local ordinances and statutes to see if you need a permit to dismantle appliances yourself as many areas vary in their rules and laws.

In fact, many recycling centers, as well as government agencies recommend that you need not attempt to remove compressors yourself because of the risk of physical harm if the refrigerant is handled improperly. To be on the safe side, professionally trained individuals that have EPA-approved refrigerant recovery equipment are the only people that should attempt to remove compressors from refrigerators. Therefore, before you attempt any sort of removal of your compressor, check with professionals.

Preparing your Refrigerator for Recycling

Refrigerator Compressor: Stubblefield Salvage and Recycling buys undrained refrigerator compressors.Your compressor is located on the bottom of your refrigerator as you can below in the picture, which A to designate your compressor and B to show you where the box where the compressor relay is located.

Most refrigerators tend to get very dusty and dirty over time, making it even more difficult to access the compressor if you are attempting to do the removal yourself. The compressor relay box holds the compressor motor terminals, compressor relay and the overload protector. Making sure your refrigerator is unplugged, this is the area where you will begin working at removing your compressor and any other parts you may want to take to the recycling center.

What many dedicated recyclers do is contact their recycling center and get a list of the parts of the refrigerator that they’ll pay for. This is also a good way to determine if you really want to tackle this project yourself or if it’s more cost-effective to deliver the whole refrigerator to the center or have it picked up from your home.