One of those household headaches no one ever expects is a water heater that just gives out. Once the new one is installed and the old one is hauled away from that cramped utility closet or basement, the question of what to do with the one sitting in the driveway comes up. Most people don’t want to spend good money on getting rid of a thing that’s got some value to it, so we get a lot of calls about this.
The size and material of the tank are what really decide how much a used water heater is worth in Davenport. Most home water heaters have got glass lining on the inside and a steel outside. We pay by weight according to the current market rate for steel, which is something that can change. When empty, a standard 40 or 50 gallon tank weighs in at between 100 to 150 pounds, which is worth a few bucks. Usually it’s between $5 to $15, depending on the day.
Higher efficiency water heaters and also those tankless ones can have some more pricey parts in them, like aluminum heat exchangers or copper coils. If you handle them right, those parts can be worth way more. We’ll even be able to take a look and give you a quote based on what’s actually in there.
Whether the unit is delivered all whole or stripped bare is another thing that affects how much you can get for it. Some people take the brass valves and the copper fittings off and bring just those in. That can boost the total payout because copper and brass pay way more per pound than steel. We’re okay with that, but don’t feel you have to do it yourself. We pay by the weight of the mixed materials and are happy to take the whole thing off your hands.
Here in Davenport, people often take their water heater along with some other appliances and bring them all to us. We figure it’s easier to make one trip and get all the recyclable metal we can from that. We can take stoves, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners and old furnaces all right here. Everything gets its own spot in our yard and if you need help unloading something big, our staff can lend a hand.
We get a lot of business from plumbing companies. They fix a lot of units each month and over time all those replacements add up. We can even set up accounts for them so they just get a straightforward weight ticket and a fair price.
A few questions pop up pretty often. Do you have to drain the tank before bringing it in? Sure, do that. You don’t want to be driving around with a leaking water tank. Open the bottom drain valve, empty it out and then transport it.
When compared to electric water heaters are the old gas water heaters worth anything? They do have some extra steel and brass but its not a lot, they get paid out by weight just the same as the other.
We also get asked if it is worth bringing in the old insulation and jacket on the water heater. You can leave it right on there. We have the equipment to take it apart, so stripping it first doesn’t do much. Just empty the water, load it up and bring it on over to Davenport.
The Cost Of Scrap Water Heaters If you care about getting a good price for your old water heater, we recommend giving us a call for a quote. Like most things the market can fluctuate from day to day. Recycling is still better than just leaving the unit sitting there or paying a hauler to take it away and bury it in a landfill. We’ll weigh it, pay you and get the steel back into the supply chain if you bring it to Eco Way Recycle.