Air Conditioner Recycling Steps
It is illegal to place an air conditioner in the trash. An air conditioner recycling program involves making arrangements to drop off a unit or have it picked up by an appliance dealer or an independent company that repurposes unwanted equipment.
Recycling Considerations
The refrigerant that is within an air conditioning unit could be harmful to the environment. Most business owners that recycle air conditioning equipment will either use a refrigerant reclaiming method or will require the original owner to have the refrigerant professionally collected from the equipment that they are parting with. Contacting various businesses that accept used equipment will inform you about the guidelines that you must follow prior to getting rid of an old air conditioning unit.
Swapping Out
If you are going to part ways with an old air conditioning unit and purchase a new unit to replace it, you may be able to set up a swapping-out arrangement. Some appliance dealers offer this type of service and will take care of the disassembly steps that are necessary to transport the old equipment.
With this type of service, you will need to be at the location where the old unit will be picked up and the new one will be dropped off. If you purchase a replacement air conditioner through a dealer, you may be eligible to have your old unit picked up for free and the new unit installed.
Donating Or Selling Scrap Materials
A business that accepts donations may require that equipment is transported to the place of business that is accepting unwanted or broken appliances. If you decide to donate your air conditioner, you may be responsible for having the refrigerant emptied from the air conditioner. An HVAC technician is someone who is licensed to reclaim the used refrigerant that is inside of a unit.
A technician will use a machine that uses vacuum technology to safely siphon refrigerant from a unit. The refrigerant will be stored inside of a tank. If you would like to sell scrap materials on your unit, seek a recycling company that purchases used copper and other metal components that are secured to the air conditioner.
You will need to first have the refrigerant removed from the unit and then will need to use tools to break down the equipment. All of the metal components that you will be selling should be sorted, prior to selling them to a business owner that provides recycling services. Reach out to a professional who can tell you more about air conditioner recycling.
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