Calculator
Appliance Scrap Value Calculator
Pick an appliance for a weight and composition preset, enter your local prices — see what it's worth broken down by material.
Your appliance
Steel tank dominates the weight; foam insulation and the plastic jacket make up most of the rest and have no scrap value. Draining the tank first is worth the trip to the yard alone — full tanks are often refused.
Typical range for this appliance: 40 lb–120 lb. Weigh it if you can.
Indicative default — enter your yard's price. Saved for next time.
Indicative default — enter your yard's price. Saved for next time.
Indicative default — enter your yard's price. Saved for next time.
The remaining ~22% is insulation, plastic, or other non-scrap material with no resale value.
What's actually inside each appliance
Every appliance here is mostly one thing (steel) with a small amount of something worth far more (copper, brass, or an aluminum/copper coil). The steel is what makes the appliance heavy; the copper is what makes it worth the trip. Composition figures below come from published teardown data and yard grading guides, verified against at least two sources.
| Appliance | Typical weight | Main scrap components |
|---|---|---|
| Water Heater | 40–120 lb | Steel tank & outer jacket (~75%), Copper heating elements & pipe (~2%), Brass fittings & valves (~1%) |
| Washing Machine | 130–200 lb | Steel drum, frame & cabinet (~55%), Motor windings & wiring (~1%) |
| Microwave | 25–35 lb | Steel casing (~50%), Transformer copper winding (~5%) |
| AC Unit (window/room) | 45–75 lb | Steel chassis & housing (~20%), Copper wiring & tubing (~10%), Aluminum/copper coil (radiator) (~17%), Compressor & fan motor (sealed units) (~37%) |
Whole vs broken down
Scrapping an appliance whole is fast and safe: no tools, no discharge risk, no refrigerant to worry about — the yard weighs it and pays an average price for mixed material. Breaking it down pays more per pound, sometimes dramatically more for the copper components, but it takes time, the right tools, and — for microwaves and AC units — real safety precautions. Weigh the appliance whole first; that number alone, at your yard's whole-unit price, is the floor everything else has to beat.
Safety notes worth repeating
Microwave capacitors hold a charge after unplugging — discharge before you open one up. AC and refrigeration units contain pressurized refrigerant that's illegal to vent and needs proper reclaim. Neither of these is a reason to avoid scrapping the item; they're a reason to handle that one step correctly before you start cutting.
Appliance value questions
Why doesn't the composition add up to 100%?
Because most of an appliance's weight isn't scrap metal at all — foam insulation, plastic panels, glass, and refrigerant-system components have no resale value. The percentages here only cover what a yard will actually pay for.
Should I dismantle the appliance first?
For most of these, yes — separating copper (motor windings, transformers, heating elements) from the steel body pays several times more than scrapping the appliance whole, because whole-appliance prices assume an average, unsorted mix.
Can I just cut the lines on an AC unit to get at the coils?
No — AC and refrigeration units hold refrigerant under pressure, and venting it to the atmosphere is illegal in most places (and bad for the ozone layer). Have it reclaimed by a certified tech, or check whether your yard accepts sealed units as-is before you touch a cutting tool.
A microwave still has power after unplugging — is that dangerous?
Yes. The high-voltage capacitor next to the transformer can hold a serious charge even unplugged. Discharge it with an insulated screwdriver across both terminals before handling anything inside — don't skip this step.
Found a lot of appliances for sale?
Weigh the pile, estimate the mix, and run it through the Deal Analyzer before you pay.