Tips for Electrical Contractors | Maximize your scrap value

Electrical contractors routinely create scrap metal such as copper wire and cable, aluminum conduit, light fixtures,  cable tray, copper pipe,  electric motors,  switch gear, and transformers while on the job.

If an electrical contractor is retrofitting an installation, there may be a ton of scrap metals  leftover from pulling out the old wire and removing various old fixtures.  This can quickly lead to extra profits.

Electrical contractors should recognize the value of these scrap metals and how significantly they can boost your bottom line!

The key to getting the best price for scrap metal and scrap copper is knowing exactly how to collect and sort your material.  And secondly, make sure you bring it to the proper scrap processing facility to get top dollar.  Quite often when you upgrade old retrofits, the original equipment still has value to be sold as is to an electrical surplus outlet.

All scrap yards will accept recyclable material from electrical contractors, but many act only as the middleman, who then resell the material to specialized processors outfitted with the necessary recycling equipment to efficiently process your scrap material.

Selling your sorted scrap to these guys will get you top dollar, but you will need to have it processed in a manner where they are willing to give you top dollar.

If an electrical contractor invests in the proper recycling equipment for processing scrap you can cut out the middle man and get the top dollar for your scrap!

 Wire stripping Machines:

One very important  piece of equipment to purchase when it comes to scrap metal processing  is a wire stripping machine that will remove the insulation from scrap copper wire.

The Bluedog BWS-80 HD is one of the most popular models for the needs of Electricians and Electrical contractors since it can process wire ranging from thin electrical all the way up to heavy-duty power main cable.

The BWS-80 HD is designed for the high volume industrial users who need to recycle large amounts of copper from scrap wire.  The BWS-80 HD strips both sides of the wire from 14 GA up to a true 3 1/8″ diameter cable.

If you need a heavy duty industrial grade wire stripper which will go through hell and back, this automatic wire stripping machine is the best option for you. You can choose to feed wire through the 8 dedicated spring tension feed ports or you can use the Open Feed Port on the side of the wire stripping machine.

The Open feed port system is specifically designed to strip large diameter cable with really thick coatings such as power main cable or XLPE. The open feed port also includes a combination of different setup configurations to strip a large variety of cable – See photos showing different configurations. The BWS-80 HD also includes a dedicated shredding port for stripping romex cable in 1 single pass.

No other wire stripping machine has this capability on the market. The BWS-80 HD wire stripping machine comes standard with 220V x Single Phase power, reverse and forward controls, heavy duty casters, a pull out tray, and a full set of extra blades.

To find out more about the BWS-80 HD wire stripping machine for electrical contractors please go here.

Knowing the type of equipment you require to process a particular grade of scrap can make a big difference in the price you receive for your scrap material.

Copper Choppers

Do you encounter tons of light gauge scrap electrical wire while doing jobs?  If so, you might want to consider purchasing a Granulator such as our BDG-2 for bulk processing of scrap wire. These machines are quite popular in Europe with Electrical Contractors since waste is a very serious issue over there.   Electrical Contractors in North America are starting to catch up on this trend of recycling all scrap materials. Some users of Granulators even find creative ways to utilize scrap plastic granules.   Which we will discuss in future articles.

Compact Copper Chopper – BDG-2 a brilliant solution for processing light gauge scrap wire down to copper chop.   Granulate scrap wire and cable from .018″ up to 3/4″ diameter cable. Designed for processing, Computer cable, phone cable, car wiring harness, electrical house wire, multi-strand, Ethernet cable. Recycle your scrap cable into copper granules with the BDG-2 Copper

Exclusive Features of the BDG-2L:
–High purity rate 99.99% for recycling both copper and plastic/rubber.
–Can process both Copper and Aluminum wires.
–Specialized to process automotive, communication, and other scrap wires/ cables
–Compact machine does not take up an excessive amount of space. –Environmental-friendly: no dust during operation.
–Easy 1-person operation.

To find out more about the BDG-2 please go here.

Portable Cable Cutting Solutions:

If you are doing an electrical retrofit, chances are you will have to pull out tons of old wire since it wont be compatible with the new equipment being installed.  In order to manage large lengths of wire easily, we suggest looking into getting a Portable Cable Cutter such as the BWS-CC120.   This is fast, efficient and you wont have to worry about going through tons of sawsalls blades or cramping your hands using a hand tool.  This is the fastest way to cut length down to size for recycling while on remote sites.

Bottom line – Its easier to handle smaller lengths of wire than a pile of giant spaghetti noodle wire. The purer the grade of scrap metal, the higher the dollar value you can make from the recycling industry.

Maximize your scrap value

Scrap metal is normally classified as either ferrous metals or nonferrous metals

Ferrous metal is magnetic (commonly known as Steel ) is typically worth $ 0.05 to $ 0.10 per pound per market on the scrap market.  When testing Ferrous metal a simple magnet sticks to the surface.

Non-ferrous materials include brass, stainless steel,  aluminum, and copper are non-magnetic.  Copper is going to be the gold in your scrap treasure chest and this you will take to sort properly and get into the cleanest grade possible. Non-Ferrous material will anywhere from $ 1.00 to $ 4.00 / pound.   Aside from the money you can earn for this scrap, you’ll also feel good about helping the environment by keeping these items out of our landfills.

What happens to the materials after you drop them off? They are sorted by material and sliced into smaller pieces. The processed scrap is packaged and shipped to a company that re-melts the materials and makes new products out of it.

How can you make your scrap work for you? Just gathering it at your Jobsite refuse and taking it to the scrapyard isn’t enough.

Follow these tips on your next project to maximize revenue.

Separate wire by grade

Separating high-voltage electrical cable from low-voltage communications wire allows the scrap dealer to weigh and grade each type of wire based on its copper or aluminum content. Recoveries vary, so keeping them separate takes the guesswork out of measuring the exact weight of each type of conductor. Also, separate aluminum and copper wire for processing.

Strip insulation from the wire

Stripping insulation by hand is a dangerous task and does not add any value to the wire. Wire value is based on known metal recovery formulas for each type of wire. The insulation is ultimately removed from the conductor by high-speed wire-chopping machines. You can even leave the wire on its spool because the machine will also separate the wood content from the wire. Never burn wire to remove its insulation — it’s a wasted effort and could lead to a fine from the EPA.  Copper is king!  Maximize your scrap value.

Buy a wire stripping machines such as a BWS-100v2,  BWS-80 HD or a BWS-50 SAR, BWS-50 Multi Feed,  BWS-60.  Maximize the value of your scrap

Remove all contaminants

The highest valued insulated copper wire, called #1, is copper wire with no other metallic contaminants. The next best classification of copper wire, called #2, contains contaminants such as brass connectors, solder, and plating. Connectors, end fittings, and plated or lead items are worth far less than copper, so, if possible, remove the non-copper items. You can raise the value of your wire scrap by removing these contaminants ahead of time and thereby raise your scrap material from a #2 grade to a #1 grade.

The best way to make money from scrap wire is to follow this:

Deal directly with a scrap processing specialist.

If you work with a scrap yard that has on-site wire processing capabilities, you can eliminate middleman costs. Companies without this capability will likely sell the material to a wire processor. This additional step will lower the value of your scrap.  Or you can purchase scrap processing equipment and get the top value for your clean scrap.

Buy a Weigh Scale so you know your weights before you go to the Scrap Yard

An independent firm should regularly calibrate scales and provide certifications. Be wary of portable scales as they do not travel well. Scale inaccuracy can severely reduce the value of your scrap.

Do not overload your vehicle.

Wire and cable can be extremely heavy. If you can’t safely haul the material to the scrap yard yourself, ask the scrap dealer to provide containers and use their pick-up service to transport the items instead. If you have a large amount of material — 5,000 lb or more — this service should be free. Note that lockable containers can be made available for security.  Maximize the value of your scrap.

Watch for other recyclable materials.

Other materials found on job sites, such as aluminum conduit, cable trays, copper pipe, brass fixtures, control centers, and switchgear can also be of significant value. Bring these to the scrap dealer for additional trade-in value. Retrofitting old equipment is a great way to obtain all kinds of scrap metals.
Transformers,  light blasts,  electrical motors,  copper bus bars.

Buy Equipment for Processing Scrap from someone you trust.

Bluedog Wire Strippers is the #1 dealer of wire stripping machines and scrap processing equipment in North America.

Find a fast operation.

Your time is valuable and better spent on the job site completing electrical work. Make sure the recycling center is equipped to handle your material and quickly expedite the transaction.  Be sure to maximize your scrap value.

Insist on maximizing the value you receive for scrap metal recycling. It will also show your customers you’re a good corporate citizen for doing your best to keep the environment clean.    Develop a relationship with a scrap dealer who has a good reputation, is well established in the community, and is the most qualified to process your specific scrap. The value of scrap metal can change daily due to market price fluctuations. Be wary of scrap dealers that offer seemingly ridiculous prices.

Team Bluedog
www.bluedogwirestripper.com