Get the Company's Yes
Ask your boss or dispatcher who gets the changeout material. Get it in a text. Permission first, pile second.
FOR INSTALLERS & SERVICE TECHS • LINE SETS • COILS • EVERY CHANGEOUT
HVAC INSTALLER SCRAP COPPER GUIDE
Every air conditioner changeout leaves copper behind: the line set, the coils, the compressor, and a handful of brass fittings. Most of it goes in the truck and then somewhere. This guide shows HVAC installers and service techs what each changeout is really holding, what to pull first, and how to turn the pile into a second paycheck — with the company's blessing.
Ask Your BossNo MinimumsChangeout LotsFast Quotes
EVERY CHANGEOUT LEAVES COPPER
The installer math, piece by piece.
- Line sets: the insulated copper tubing running between the condenser and the evaporator coil. Every changeout produces one — pull it whole and coil it.
- Condenser and evaporator coils: copper tubing with aluminum fins. Heavy, bulky, and worth pulling intact.
- Compressors: sealed units with copper windings inside. Do not cut them open — sell them whole.
- Brass fittings and service valves: small, dense, and easy to toss in a bucket. They add up fast across a week.
- Disconnect boxes and whip wire: short electrical runs with copper inside. Worth grabbing on the way out.
- A residential changeout typically leaves 40 to 150 lbs of copper-bearing material.
- Service techs get a steady drip: failed compressors, motors, contactors, and line sets running 20 to 80 lbs a week.
- EPA 608 note: refrigerant must be recovered by a certified tech before anything is cut or scrapped. That is federal law, not a suggestion.
CHANGEOUT40–150 lbs
Line set, coils, compressor, and fittings per job.
SERVICE WEEK20–80 lbs
Failed parts and pulled line sets, week after week.
BRASS BONUSEvery job
Fittings and valves in their own bucket.
WHAT TO PULL FIRST
The changeout pull order.
Work in this order and nothing valuable gets left behind in the truck bed.
- LINE SET — Pull it whole and coil it. It is the cleanest copper on the job.
- COILS — Condenser and evaporator coils come out intact. Do not crush them on site.
- COMPRESSOR — Unbolt it and set it aside whole. Sealed units sell as sealed units.
- BRASS AND WIRE — Fittings, valves, disconnects, and whip wire go in the bucket.
YOUR TYPICAL LOT
From one changeout to a week's service calls.
Whether you are holding one pulled line set or a truck bed of changeout material, it all counts. No minimums — every bucket counts.
ONE CHANGEOUT40–150 lbs
Line set, coils, compressor, fittings.
ONE SERVICE WEEK20–80 lbs
Failed parts and pulled line sets.
ONE TRUCKLOAD300+ lbs
A week's installs. Call and we will talk pickup.
FROM CHANGEOUT TO CASH
How the installer sells.
Pull in Order
Line set, coils, compressor, then brass and wire. Keep the brass fittings in their own bucket.
Text Photos to Sonny
Send a photo of your pile to 312-880-8174 for a fast quote. No minimums — every bucket counts.
Drop Off and Get Paid
Bring it by, watch it weighed in the open, and get paid by check, wire, or cash.
WHY IRONCREST
Why HVAC installers sell their changeouts to Ironcrest
- No minimums — every bucket counts. One line set gets the same welcome as a truckload.
- Fast quotes from a photo: text your pile, get a real number back.
- Weighed in the open on a digital scale. You see every pound.
- Quick payment by check, wire, or cash once your lot settles.
- One direct contact: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174 — not a yard window, not a phone tree.
- Your material never leaves the United States.
ONE DIRECT CONTACT
Talk to Sonny, not a department
Every quote runs through one person who answers the phone: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174. No portals, no ticket queues, no yard line.
- NO MINIMUMS — Every bucket counts. One bucket of cutoffs gets the same welcome as a truckload.
- FAST QUOTES — Send photos of your material and get a real number back fast.
- QUICK PAYMENT — Check, wire, or cash once your lot settles.
- US ONLY — Your material never leaves the United States.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Asked by workers holding this material.
Can I scrap an old air conditioner?
Yes, once the refrigerant has been recovered by a certified tech. After recovery, the line set, coils, compressor, and brass fittings are all sellable. Never cut into a sealed system yourself unless you are certified to handle refrigerant.
Do I need to be EPA certified to scrap a unit?
You need certification to handle refrigerant — that is the EPA 608 rule, and it is federal law. The scrapping itself does not require certification, but the refrigerant recovery does. If you are not certified, your shop's certified tech does the recovery first.
How much copper is in a typical residential changeout?
A residential changeout typically leaves 40 to 150 lbs of copper-bearing material: the line set, both coils, the compressor, and brass fittings. Bigger systems and commercial units run heavier.
Should I take the coils apart?
No — pull them intact. Separating copper tubing from aluminum fins is processing work, and it is priced into the quote. Crushed or mangled coils are harder to handle, so keep them whole.
What about the compressor — should I cut it open?
No. Sell sealed compressors whole. Cutting one open is messy, the oil inside is a hassle, and buyers purchase sealed units as sealed units.
My shop already hauls old units to the yard. Can I get in on it?
Ask. Many shops let the installer keep the line set or split the load with the crew. One conversation with your boss is all it takes to find out where you stand.
EVERY CHANGEOUT COUNTS
Your changeout pile is worth a quote.
Text a photo of your line sets, coils, and fittings to 312-880-8174. You will get a fast quote based on what is actually there — no minimums, no yard lines.