What To Do When Scrapping Microwaves

When you are cleaning out your apartment or one of your kids accidentally heated a thermos in your microwave, and it combusted, it may be a good time to scrap it. Microwaves are also a prevalent item to find while scrap hunting in your neighborhood. Often, people place them on the curb to go out with the bulk garbage days. Instead, why not scrap microwaves by taking them apart and make some extra cash from them by scrapping them for the parts inside?

Suggested Reading: Tom’s Best Tools For Scrapping

Steps To Scrap A Microwave

  1. Grab a pair of cutting pliers to snip the power cord from the outside and place it in your Insulated Copper Wire pile.
  2. Once you have picked up your microwave, you will probably realize how heavy they are, and that is because of the components on the inside. Take a screwdriver or power drill and remove the screws along the backside and bottom of the microwave.
  3. The outer shell on the back and bottom are usually steel, so check it with a magnet and separate it into your steel pile. Once removed, you should see the inside of your microwave.
  4. There may be some insulation on the inside that can easily be pulled out and set aside for garbage. You should see several different items that are recognizable.
  5. First, find the transformer. Usually, it is screwed to the bottom of the microwave and can be taken out.
  6. Grab all of the copper wires from the inside and remove them. Place them in your copper wire pile, and remove plastic clips from the ends.
  7. You will also find a fan in the microwave with an electric motor attached, and can be pulled out too.
  8. Once you have pulled everything from the backside of the microwave, you should be able to access the front inside, where there will most likely be a low-grade circuit board from the control panel. That can be taken off and placed in your low-grade board pile.
  9. Once you have pulled everything out, separate it into different piles so you can bring it to the scrap yard with no problem.

Suggested Reading: