“There’s Gold Copper in Them Thar Hills”
If, like my household, you’re contemplating replacing your (very) old central a/c unit this Summer, you’ll discover (like us) that it’s not cheap.
But, I was puzzled why, on the contractor bid’s for “disposal fee,” the amount was $0.
Disposal Fee? Try, Bounty
The explanation?
According to the contractor, old a/c units can have up to 200 pounds of salvageable copper in them.
Copper’s current value: $3 per pound.
Do the math, and that’s up to $600 for an old a/c unit — minus, of course, the labor to remove the unit, plus the cost to transport, smelt, and re-sell the metal.
Given that I’ve got zero wherewithal to do any of the above . . . I’m happy with “free disposal.”
P.S.: Just like old car engines start burning oil, old central a/c units apparently start consuming lots of refrigerant.
You’d guess that would be measured by volume, but in fact it’s measured by pounds (my wheezing central a/c just required 3 pounds).
