Replacing the air conditioning unit or HVAC system in your house often leaves you with an old unit to dispose of. Some things make air conditioning recycling a little challenging, but there are services that can help you deal with the removal, and many will buy the old unit from you. 

Refrigerant And Old AC Units

When you are ready to get rid of your old air conditioning unit, federal law requires that all the refrigerant and other oils in the system are drained and captured for proper disposal. The refrigerant in the system can not be allowed to escape into the air because it is damaging to the environment and the ozone layer. 

An air conditioning recycling service can come and remove the refrigerant and any oils in the system, then remove the old air conditioning unit from the property for you. Most recycling services will pay you a small fee for the unit and then recycle the materials in the AC system to make back the cost of removal and some profit for the business.

Disassembling the system is the best way to separate the materials and make the best profit on the metals. A typical air conditioning unit will have copper, aluminum, and steel in the assembly. When separated, the scrap yard will pay a higher price for the metal, so it is in the best interest of the air conditioning recycling service to strip the units down to their base parts.

Scrap Ductwork And Other Materials

When you have a new air conditioning system installed, there are often some additional materials that are left behind after the contractor has finished the job. Air conditioning recycling services can also pick up old air ducts, leftover copper or other metals, and other metal parts that the contractor left behind when they come to get the old AC unit.

This additional scrap is also recyclable, and the air conditioning recycling service will not have to strip it down to sell it. Letting the recycling service take it gets it out of your yard and helps to offset the removal costs, making it more profitable for the recycling service. 

Managing Refrigerant Disposal

The air conditioning recycling service will remove the refrigerant from your AC unit and store it until they have enough and then have it properly disposed of. There is no good way for you to get rid of that material or remove it from the system on your own. Recycling your old AC unit for no other reason than to ensure the refrigerant is dealt with correctly is worth the time it takes to call a recycling service and have them take care of removal and recycling for you. 

For more information, contact an air conditioning recycling service.