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Sad day at the scrap yard

7 or 8 cents a pound the temptation is too hard to resist for some right now .

Comments

  • Tim_41
    Tim_41 Member Posts: 153
    Sad day at the scrap yard

    Went to drop off some scrap #2 copper at the scrap yard today. I started looking around and I could not believe the amount of cast iron radiators that are being tossed. One was a beautiful ornamental type rad around 38" tall. There was lot of American Rads there also. More than I ever expected. Very sad in deed.
  • Uni R_2
    Uni R_2 Member Posts: 589
    If only everyone knew their true value...

  • Jim Bennett
    Jim Bennett Member Posts: 607
    I've bought .....

    lots of radiators from similar piles!

    When in dire need of rads for a project a few years back we started perusing the local scrap yards and found some great ones. Took a little while to sort them out, most were not "gently" placed on the pile.

    The good part is they will sell them to you for their going rate for cast iron. (cheap)

    After testing, if we found a leaker, they would buy them back for a little less than we paid. (still cheap)

    I probably have gotten 16 to 18 good rads in the last couple of years and by being selective have only returned about 6.

    On a warm sunny day this takes a lot less time than you might imagine.

    SAVE THE RADIATORS!

    Jim
    Jim Bennett
  • Dave Stroman
    Dave Stroman Member Posts: 764


    Here is one that will make you sick. All frozen and split.

    Dave in Denver
    Dave Stroman
  • bill nye_3
    bill nye_3 Member Posts: 307
    Save the radiators

    time to buy another t-shirt.

    http://www.heatinghelp.com/shopcart/product.cfm?category=5-122
  • It's just not right.

    Old radiators should be put out to pasture when they retire, like this herd of them.

    I think the radiator in the wagon is part of the herd, too.

    Noel
  • Ross_7
    Ross_7 Member Posts: 577
    Be Green! Re-use those old cast iron radiators!

    Maybe we should start a national campaign on the re-use of cast iron radiators. Maybe the DOE could give us some incentives for doing so. I really hate it when people decide to haul them to the scrap yard, especially when there is nothing wrong with them. What a shame!
    Ross
  • Darin Cook_5
    Darin Cook_5 Member Posts: 298
    The thing is

    When you go to a place like ACME Radiator and the used radiators cost $500.00 a section!!!! Why would anyone throw them a way????????






    Darin
  • Rich Kontny_3
    Rich Kontny_3 Member Posts: 562
    More Alarming

    While the loss of old cast iron radiators is alarming I was shocked at what I saw at the scrap yard I stop at. I was cleaning out my garage last weekend and took some scrap in. While waiting for my turn I noticed brand new Watts ball valves,pro-press fittings and other unused copper fittings in a box. I asked the owner where they came from and he stated that a young guy brings them in every so often.

    Copper and brass are suddenly precious metals, turning otherwise honest people into petty thieves. I find this very alarming and nothing short of stealing.

    In Milwaukee they had a problem with cast iron manhole covers showing up at the scrap yards. They now require IDs and sign off forms.


    Rich K.
  • Wayco Wayne_2
    Wayco Wayne_2 Member Posts: 2,479
    I get

    my lunch money by dismanteling condensing units and evap coils from jobs I'm doing. This week the lines at the small scales that take care of this were unbelievably long. The materials I observed being cashed in, were obviously taken from construction job sites. How annoying and disheartening. WW

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  • Albert Huntermark
    Albert Huntermark Member Posts: 68


    Bill I'm going to have to get me one of those shirts! My 16-year old son is at the age where he loves to debate! He always has to have the last word! He's not mechanically inclined, but God bless him anyway, he's computer oriented! Yesterday I got a lecture on the way home as to why we have to get rid of those old rads, (that I baby more than him!) in our home. According to him forced air is the best system possible! He even explained that we could have A.C. too, almost thirty years in the plumbing & heating business and I didn't know this? Oh well, after a long debate he still didn't buy that the ultimate would be to keep the rads and add a seperate A.C. system, my plans in my spare time! We left it at I won't tell him which computer systems are the best and that he should not advise me on my trade! The shirt will give me the last word!
  • Chris_82
    Chris_82 Member Posts: 321
    Not just manholes,...

    The cast aluminum tops of iron fence posts, recently in Mass two guys got permenantly zapped from pulling ground wires on a live 20,000 volt feed, and many of my old foremen are now getting only daily copper deliveries, in other words no loose pipe on job sites.

    On another note I am hearing some steam conversion jobs are keeping the old radiators because the customers enjoy that radient feeling in the corners and under the windows.
  • Steamhead (in transit)
    Steamhead (in transit) Member Posts: 6,688
    \"steam conversion jobs\"?

    We don't touch those. So many things can go wrong with this type of conversion that it makes a liability lawyer salivate. It is so much more cost-effective to fix old steam systems than try such a risky conversion.

    For those who aren't familiar, go here:

    http://www.heatinghelp.com/newsletter.cfm?Id=22

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  • GusHerb
    GusHerb Member Posts: 91
    copper pipe

    here in chicago some people i know were renovating their house and some metal theives broke in and ripped all the copper pipe out of the walls for money.
  • Chris_82
    Chris_82 Member Posts: 321
    Two pipe,...

    no problems yet and some have been in use for 15 years, two pipe conversions and a big strainer. Not every rad was replaced and the first floor was a staple up job. not every rad connected at top and don't care to much about flow cause they work great. Somtimes ya got to just go for it and see what happens. And saving a bit of history is a good thing as well as you back demoing old rads.
  • Steamhead (in transit)
    Steamhead (in transit) Member Posts: 6,688
    You got lucky

    I can show you some jobs where luck ran out. They turned into Swiss cheese when filled and pressurized. I don't know how the hacks that did the work stayed out of court!

    And the worst part was, they didn't save much energy, and the damage to the buildings more than offset the savings.

    This is why we don't touch this type of conversion. And since we have been known to save some of our steam customers over 30% of their fuel, and solve the steam-distribution, banging and other problems, why take the risk?

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  • Believe it or not,

    I had to replace the water piping in a church last fall because the painter propped the doors open for a few hours after doing the jamb, and someone ripped-off the copper right to the meter!! I almost couldn`t believe-it when the warden called me!! Makes me wonder how these people can sleep at night!!

    Dave
This discussion has been closed.