Three Things To Know About Scrapping Copper Wire
Copper is a great material that can help you make a lot of money by reselling it. It's easy to find and has a high dollar value that metal buyers will pay for it. However, there are various types of copper out there and the condition of the copper can impact how much you receive for it. This is most notable when dealing with copper wire, which can be sold either with sheathing insulation material on it or stripped off. Here is what you need to know about how you should sell copper wire to a scrap yard.
Know How Copper Wire Is Priced By Scrap Yards
Every scrap yard is going to put a price on a copper wire that has the insulation material on it, which is based on how much copper can be recovered from the material. Different types of copper wire will have different recovery percentages, with a thicker wire being easier to strip without wasting any of the copper material.
This means that things like Christmas lights are not going to be worth much money, because there is actually very little copper in them when you look at the total weight of the material that has not been stripped. Meanwhile, #1 copper wire will likely give you the highest price.
Know About Labor Fees For Insulated Wire
If you bring insulated wire to a scrap yard, they are going to charge you a labor fee to do the stripping of the wire. This is taken out of your earnings from the sale because the scrap yard will likely be removing all that insulation for you.
You can take the time to strip the wires on your own though, and you just need to decide if it is worth it or not to do so. You are essentially putting a value on your time, with how much it costs to strip each type of wire. You may find that #1 copper wire is easy to strip and earns you the most money so it is worth stripping. Something like an Ethernet cable, which has many strands of thin copper that need to be stripped, is not worth stripping due to how long it takes to remove the insulation.
Consider Getting A Wire Stripping Machine
If you are the type of person that finds and sells a lot of copper wire, you'll want to consider getting a wire stripping machine. This device is designed for the exact purpose for which it is named, and will do the labor-intensive job of removing the insulation on the wire. It can be quite an investment, so only consider it if you have been scrapping copper for a while and are quite serious about continuing to do so.
For more information, contact copper wire buyers in your area.
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