How To Recycle a Scrap Oven Or Stove

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Appliances are easily sold to scrap yards as is. But here is a very simply way to make some extra money by stripping a scrap oven or scrap stove


First and foremost, If you don't want to spend the time to break apart these types of appliances, I think you are making a mistake. They have a decent amount of wire, brass, and stainless. Please reconsider!


Scrap Electric Heating Elements


Ovens and stoves are worth at least their total weight at shred steel, but a quick way to make an extra couple of dollars is to cut off the heating elements from electric ones. The heating elements are made of stainless steel, filled with power, with a core wire made of a special heating wire, usually nichrome, or a molybdenum rich alloy, or even Tungsten. Its important you get payed for the Expensive Alloy Scrap, and these are worth stainless steel price.

Welded heating elements are easily cut out with a small pair of bolt cutters, angle grinder/cutter, ect. There is usually two in an oven. One on top and bottom. The electric stove burners are different from the internal oven heating elements, but worth at least as much.







Strip Brass Valves


Brass valves are found in gas stoves, as apposed to electric heating elements. Brass valves are a little harder to pull out then heating elements, but it can usually be done quickly with the right balance of tools and brute force.

The first step to getting access is to pop up the top of the stove. This usually takes nothing more then a crow bar.

After prying up with the crow bar, you will see the brass valves connected to the control knobs. These can be cut off with a Sawz-all if you are willing to lose a little brass for a quick job, but it may take you up to 10 minutes to pull these out without cutting the valves, because they may all be connected to a single steel tube which denies access.


Also, if dealing with a gas stove/oven, there should be a gas regulator inside, which is bade of a combination of brass and cast pot metal. These are similar to what you find on a scrap grill or a scrap water heater.



Next, Strip Out Wire

The wire that connects up all of the components is high grade industrial strength wire, containing 75% copper on average. These copper wires may be of even more value to you by stripping them, but please make sure you are not waisting your time. If your yard offers scrap wire prices that come close to 70% of copper #1 price, just sell the scrap as wire.

Is This Thermocouple Wire?


If you are working with a gas oven, then there will be a thermocouple constantly checking on the status of the oven's flame status. This isn't aluminum wire, and may be worth more as a thermocouple. Thermocouples may be worth a great deal, because some thermocouple wires can contain platinum, rhodium, and other rare/precious metals. Many, more common types of thermocouple wire, are simply Nickel/copper alloys. You will have to talk to a scrap yard more experienced with precious metal sales.

Good Luck Scrapping, especially Scrap Appliances!


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