disposal of old AC unit ?

[Drew Volpe]

I have an old and very heavy AC unit that's past its prime. I'm assuming it counts as hazardous waste. Any ideas on how I can dispose of it ? I'm in Somerville, Mass.

dv

[JMagerl]

1) Most states have a recycling program for AC's. Do a google search. Here's a link for a chicagoland service (use it for keywords): Walk into a big box store that sells AC's and ask for the number of the disposal company. It will most likey be #1 above 3) Call your local waste hauler and ask how to do it. THey will most likely give you #1 above.

Don't be surprised if it costs you $20.

[default]

Put it in your trunk, leave the trunk open, tied down with string, and park it on the street over a long weekend.

[New & Improved - N/F John]

Leave it on the curb if you live in a busy neighborhood. People will take anything. If that doesn't work, put a price tag of $20 on it. People don't want junk, but they want something for practically free!

[Dan Shulman]

Suggestions for getting rid of one? It's large, probably 100+ gallons...

Dan Washington, D.C.

[barry martin]

Drew:

DV> I have an old and very heavy AC unit that's past its prime. I'm DV> assuming it counts as hazardous waste. Any ideas on how I can DV> dispose of it ? I'm in Somerville, Mass.

If Somerville has a city web site you might want to look there for large item pick up dates -- have the city (and your tax money) take care of the disposal. Locally the City of Bettendorf (IA) had a Clean Up Week two or three times a year; effective this fall will allow such trash to be picked up once a month as long as separated from the regular trash. (New way of picking up the trash starting in the Fall.)

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

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[JerryMouse]

Leave it in a schoolyard at night.

That's what Dilbert's boss did with his old refrigerator.

Or, if you don't want to take it that far, leave it on the curb for the urban faries.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I had one that was ancient. I'm talking 35 years or older and heavier that a truck. I put it by the curb with a "FREE" sign and it was gone in an hour.

[EJ]

Many towns have haz waste pickup days. Actually mine had one today. Check with your state EPA, they should have a list of drop off sites.

[EJ]

Also, if you buy a new one and have it delivered most stores will take the old one back for free.

[barry martin]

Dan:

DS> Suggestions for getting rid of one? It's large, probably 100+ gallons...

Are you replacing it with something else? If it's underground how about filling it with sand (having all the oil removed previously, of course).

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

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[ameijers]

That used to be the common method- I remember one surreal Saturday shoveling pea gravel down a 4-inch hole to 'decommision' a gas station storage tank, on a station that was being remodeled into something else. In the states I am familiar with, that probably isn't a good idea any more, even for a residential tank. Modern enviromental law is based on 'deep pockets'- they go back along chain of ownership until they find someone worth suing, title transfers be damned. As self protection, if nothing else, best to have the tank removed by pros, and have surrounding soil tested to certify no significant contamination. Having THAT on file with whatever agency monitors such things in your area would be a decent defense against any suits years later about groundwater contamination plumes.

Standard disclaimer- IANAL, or a licensed abatement engineer. But I have been on the periphery of a few things like that, and picked up a kernal of wisdom or two.

aem sends....

[JMagerl]

If its an indoor tank there are approved removal companies listed in the yellow pages. They have to first wash it out with a cleaner before it can be put into the junk yard.. Cost me $120 10 years ago. Most of that was the cost of 3 guys wrestling it out of my basement. If you bring it to them it's cheaper. I see alot of them converted into hog troughs or barbequers.

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

You better lock and remove the distrubitor wire from the engine too. they may want the car to haul it with ,too.

TURTLE

[TURTLE]

this is Turtle.

I live in louisiana and we have a deal on old hvac equipment to be disposed of. All the land fills have a charge of $1.00 a 100 pounds of Window A/C or compressors with oil in them or freon. They have contracts with scrapper to take the metal and process it to be resold as scrap metal. These scrappers remove the oil , freon, and chop it up in little pieces. They get paid about these prices on a sale of the metal on a old condenser unit 5 ton. Compressor $6.00 , Condenser coil $16.00 to $25.00 , Brass Service valves and copper pipes inside $2.20 , Fan motor $1.85 , Frame and all other parts $.60 , and last of all they have to pay for the desposial of the freon and oil the recover. Now if they get in with a HVAC or Refrigeration warehouse they will take the freon for nothing to be recycled. the oil has to go to the motor oil recyclers and they will take it for nothing if you strick up a deal.

So there is about $25.00 to $30.00 of scrap metal to be processed in just a 5 ton condenser. Also the State get $1.00 a hundred to get it to the scrappers. There is money in Scrap metal if you don't mine getting dirty. I know a fellow who gets him about $40K a year just scrapping metal out. He don't mine getting dirty. I give him all my hvac scrap metal and just leave it on my 16 foot trailor and he comes and hauls it off for me and my trailor comes back all washed up and pretty. i was doing a job of 12 -- 5 ton old package units and filled my trailor up 3 times and he said he got $920.00 for the metal. This was lately after metal has went up.

TURTLE

TURTLE

[bill]

Yeah. Don't become your neighborhood's EPA Superfund site.

1. Look in the Yellow Pages for someone qualified to remove it and get rid of the oil and sludge that are almost guaranteed to be left in the bottom.

1. Do not, under any circumstances, start cutting the pipes connected to it at the top or the tank itself: there most likely are fumes inside which could cause a nice explosion. (At least you wouldn't need to figure out how to get rid of the tank, in that case.)

2. If the tank is old, the bottom may be corroded and actually be extremely thin. What may be just strong enough if undisturbed, could easily break when you start shoving it around. Cleaning up many gallons of oil is not something you want to be nvolved with, besides which, if you dump a bunch on the ground, you (technically at least) are required to report that. Therefore, also make sure that the company you hire to remove the tank is properly licensed and insured.

If the tank is a standard size, it will be 256 gallons.

Bill

gallons...

[Oscar_Lives]

I got rid of one old unit by putting a "For Sale - $75" sign on it and left it out by the curb. Next day, it was gone!