I’m trying to get my hands on a couple of used fridge/freezer compressors from old appliances for a home project I’m working on. Model/make doesn’t matter but the more powerful the better. I’ve contacted junk yards but they never know when they’re gonna get another fridge and they have to remember to not crush it up so I end up calling them daily and I think I’m getting on their nerves. The couple of appliance centers I’ve checked with have no clue what happens to the old fridges.
So I’m coming to the SD in hopes that someone here deals with refrigerators and can hold a few for me until I can rip out the compressors; preferably ones that have had their CFCs properly disposed of. I will come to you at your convenience. If you know someone I can contact that’s cool too.
On a side note, I have an emergency stash of rip-out-a-compressor tools (hacksaw, bolt-cutters, etc) in a cardboard box next to my front door. Just in case I get a call from a local junk yard to tell me I’ve got 10 minutes before the fridge gets the crusher!
Boston-area here, but I don’t have any old refrigerators.
A few ideas:
—Talk to the guys at Lowe’s and Home Depot. I believe when they sell and deliver a new appliance, they often (always?) haul the old appliance away. It would be interesting to find out where all the old refrigerators go.
—I know you said the bigger the better, but if you can wait a few months, you’ll sometimes see college-size refrigerators on the curb in late spring when the students move out of their dorms and apartments.
—Many cities (including mine) have special days where residents can put out appliances, and they usually require a (paid-for) sticker be placed on said appliance. Maybe you can go to the websites of some cities near you, and somehow get an idea of when/where you’re likely to find these things on the street.
Looking back at your OP, I just realized you said you already tried appliance stores…sorry about my first paragraph up top.
I replaced an old refrigerator a year ago (Cambridge). There is a program in the state to get rid of old refrigerators. They came to my house and took it away and the program gave me money! (25 or 50 bucks, something non-zero). That was way better than paying the City to take it away for me.
I mention this, because even though the refrigerators are old and not wanted, there is an avenue for disposal that generates non-zero money for the owner. If you want the refrigerator, you’ll be competing with that.
I can but my understanding is that A/C compressors are not as powerful as a fridge compressor. (Can anybody confirm that? A fridge compressor is on the edge so something weaker probably won’t work.
Thanks sachertorte! I called them and was redirected to the recycler’s web site. I’ve emailed them but I’m not hopeful–looks like it’s a national company so I doubt they’ll take the time to help me out. That’s the problem I’ve run up against: everything is well-greased for getting them picked up and crushed and it’s hard to get anybody to deviate from that.