One of those home appliances that you hardly ever consider about until it starts to leak or you notice rust-colored water collecting in your tub. When that occurs, a new dilemma, “What do you do with an old water heater? How to get rid of old water heater?” immediately arises.
Your response will vary depending on your region’s water heater recycling and disposal choices, but before you get there, you must first understand how to remove the water heater.
Old Water Heater Removal
If you’re a do-it-yourselfer at home, you might want to do it yourself rather than hire a plumber to remove an old water heater. Fortunately, it can be done and isn’t too difficult. Even while it’s quite simple to separate everything and prepare the heater for transport, they are frequently pretty hefty. If sediment has accumulated in the tank, it might become even heavier; be ready to have assistance removing it if necessary.
- Disconnect the heater’s gas supply.
- Shut off the heater’s water supply.
- If necessary, cut off the heater’s electricity.
- Disconnect the gas control valve’s connection to the gas pipe.
- Fill up the hot water tank. To achieve this, turn on the hot water faucet that is closest to you and let it run until the water temperature drops below 100 degrees. The drain valve should then be connected to using a hose, with the other end of the hose being placed in a drain. Drain the tank by releasing the drain valve.
- At the heater’s top, unplug the vent line. Typically, sheet metal screws are used to attach the vent pipe.
- At the top of the water heater, disconnect the cold supply line and the hot water line. If the pipes are copper, you can remove them from the tank by roughly four inches. Use a pipe wrench to remove the unions from galvanized pipes by loosening them.
Electric Water Heater Removal
- This water heater is really simpler to remove than conventional water heaters because there isn’t a gas connection involved.
- Make sure the heater’s wire is unplugged. Keep track of the cables for the next installation.
A hot water heater should typically only be removed in two to three hours. It can be a simple project with the correct tools and a friend’s assistance. Call the qualified experts if you experience any difficulties while attempting to remove your old hot water heater or if you have any other issues.
How to Get Rid of Old Water Heater
Water heaters weigh a lot of weight. Some of them can reach 150 pounds. Consequently, getting rid of an outdated water heater might be difficult. Water heater removal services are paid for by several reputable moving businesses. Some of the moving businesses even provide cleanup services after moving.
A water heater’s age does not imply that it is worthless, though. It might still be functional today. Or perhaps it can still be used for a few sections.
Dump It In A Landfill
You’re probably to have gotten the most out of your water heater’s initial worth after extensive use, perhaps 12–20 years. It is very reasonable to throw it out at this stage. Water heaters are not always accepted by landfills.
Most of a water heater’s inside is empty. Hazardous gases may occasionally fill the area. These gases have the potential to harm the landfill or those who work there. Therefore, you must obtain accurate information in order to determine whether old water tanks are accepted as rubbish at your neighborhood landfills.
If using a landfill is not an option in your area, look into municipal clean-up days. You can put out anything you want to get rid of on cleanup days. Your old water heater will be removed for free by the municipal agency responsible for collecting trash. Check your city’s policy to see if it’s a possibility, just like with landfills.
If the previous two are not a possibility, there is another one. In certain areas, residents can place anything on the curb, and the trash management authority will pick it up and dispose of it. This service is known as bulk waste collection.
But given the size and weight of water heaters, you might want to contact and inquire about any specific fees associated with getting rid of an old water heater.
Call your installation provider and inquire about their disposal procedures for the old water heaters if you’re throwing them out to make room for a new one. The majority of installation providers will remove and discard the old water heaters. Although there may be an additional fee, the majority will do it gratis out of respect for their profession.
Sell It Online
There’s a possibility that someone will want to purchase your old water heater if it still functions. Some people find the upfront cost of a water heater to be prohibitive. They would value having hot water and would merely pay a little sum for its convenience.
Post a commercial on highly visited websites like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. For used goods, Facebook has communities. People searching for a deal visit a lot of e-commerce sites like eBay and Craigslist.
Donate It
Many consumers require a water heater update because they require more hot water than their current unit can provide. Try donating your old hot water heater if you’re just replacing it to get a newer, more capable model that can handle your needs better. In your community, there could be an organization or people in need.
It is more environmentally responsible to keep the working hot water heater rather than dispose of it. It only takes a few minutes to post a free working water heater ad on Craigslist or in the newspaper.
Another option for donating your old hot water heater is to take it to a larger charitable donation center in your area, such as The Salvation Army, Goodwill, or a local Habitat for Humanity center. Not all of these centers will accept such large donations, but some will if they are in working order.
If you are unable to locate an organization that would accept your money, consider placing an ad in a local newspaper or on Craig’s List. If your old heater is no longer working, you could try running an ad. You might be able to find someone who will take it for scrap metal.
Recycle
Many recycling companies will accept water heaters and scrap them for metal. The majority of water heater tanks are made of steel with copper and brass attachments. Recycling centers will usually pay you the going rate for your appliance, but some may charge you a fee to dispose of it. Some recycling centers will even arrange to pick up your old heater at your home.
Scrap metal recycling laws differ from state to state, so be sure to contact your center before delivering the unit. In many states, the seller must be at least 18 years old and present a valid ID.
If you are unable to locate a recycling center that will accept your old water heater, you can contact your local government. They frequently have plans to assist residents in disposing of appliances such as water heaters.
Scrap It Yourself
You can scrap your old water heater yourself and sell the non-ferrous metals if you’re ready to put in the effort. Because of the regulator, gas water heaters are more valuable, although electric types are still worthwhile.
Examine the fittings and pipes that enter your water heater beginning at the top of the tank. Employ a magnet. The pipes are made of iron if the magnet sticks to the metal. If not, they are probably made of brass or copper and can be sold again. Try using a hammer to remove them if you can’t get rid of them with a pipe wrench. If everything else fails, you can use a saw to remove them.
Typically, the water heater is wired using heavy gauge copper.
You might be able to remove it as well if your heater’s anode rod was recently replaced. The majority of anode rods are constructed of aluminum, magnesium, or an alloy of aluminum, zinc, and tin; occasionally, copper is used as well. To increase the lifespan of the steel tank, the rod is intended to degrade and sacrifice itself. Unless the anode rod was recently replaced, it typically isn’t worth the effort to try and retrieve it for resale.
A gas regulator can be found on the outside of the tank, close to the base, if your water heater was a gas appliance. Mixed metals, typically cast zinc or aluminum and brass, are used to make the regulator. Brass knobs are also a typical sight on the regulator.
The best choice is to take the gas regulator out on your own and sell it again. If you know what you’re doing, you’ll probably get the greatest deal this way. However, many scrap yards provide special pricing for regulators if you don’t feel confident selling it on your own. In either case, the regulator will probably sell for the most money as scrap.
Heating components for electric water heaters are often constructed of stainless steel or copper that has been zinc coated. They should be quite simple to remove because they are situated behind the top and bottom access panels on the tank.
Before you’re done, make sure you use a knife or screwdriver to inspect all of the fittings once more. Corrosion causes brass fittings to frequently lose their identity. With a pipe wrench, they can occasionally be challenging to remove, but a few blows from a sledge hammer will usually cause them to give way.
Undoubtedly not for everyone, scraping a water heater can, with a little work, help you save money on a replacement one.
Get of Junk Removal Services
A junk removal company like 1-800-GOT-JUNK? will arrange for a pickup and disposal of your water heater. They provide same-day pickup and will pick up your water heater from wherever you have it. In fact, you won’t have to do much more than make the call (though we recommend draining your heater), because they will clean up after themselves, leaving the area neat and tidy!
1-800-GOT-JUNK actively strives to avoid disposing of collected items in landfills by recycling or donating whenever possible.