If you plan to replace your current water heater with a new one and plan to use commercial company service, then the chance is you don’t need to worry about your old equipment disposal. The case will be different if you choose to manage the installation process yourself and perform the removal independently.
You may wonder what to do with the old water heater? Read several disposal methods below to find out the answer.
What to Do with Old Water Heater Tank?
Disposing of old water heater tanks is already a tricky matter – not to mention that different state has different regulations, so it depends a lot on where you live. Here are several universal options you can choose as alternatives:
- Donate it
A good and working water heater may be given to others. You can contact a donation center such as Goodwill to ask if they’d accept a functional water heater. Otherwise, you may run online or newspaper ads.
- Recycle it
Why not try to recycle the water heater? Most of them have attachments made from steel, brass, or cooper that you can hand out to the recycling center. You may earn some money from it, but there’s also a chance that you’re going to pay a disposable fee.
- Could you take it to the landfill?
Reaching the local landfill can be the last resort to dispose of your old water heater, as they typically accept them for a fee.
How to Scrap a Water Heater?
Scrapping your old water heater may earn you some bucks, especially gas water heaters. Here is the work you need to do, in a step-by-step guide, if you’re interested in it:
- Begin by examining the pipes and fittings at the top of the water heater tank. Check to see if the lines are made from iron material by using a magnet. Otherwise, it might be made from saleable brass or coppers. Try to detach them by using a pipe wrench, hammer, or saw. Meanwhile, if the fittings are made from brass, they might be harder to find because of the possible corrosion.
- If your water heater’s anode rod is recently replaced, then it can be removed too. Typically, the rod is designed to wear down over time to support the steel tank. Therefore, the removal might not be worth the effort except if you recently replaced the anode rod.
- Check the gas regulator located near the base of the outer tank part if you have a gas water heater. The regulator is usually made from combined metal like aluminum, brass, or cast zinc. You may also find brass knobs while on it, which most likely earn you the highest bucks from the scrap.
- On the other hand, if you have an electric unit, you may scrap the heating elements. These are usually made from stainless or zinc-plated copper. Try to find them behind the tank’s access panel.
Scrapping a water heater unit is not an easy task, and not everyone wants to bother with them. Whichever alternative you prefer, hopefully, you get the answer of what to do with the old water heater from several options provided above.
