Replacing your boiler or having the plumbers in?

g60jet

Hi Guys
(not sure if this is on the correct section...its more of a tip than anything)

I've been helping a friend renovate an old house, we have completely gutted the place down to bare brick and floorboards. As part to the rebuild my mate is fitting a new boiler and all new electrics. As the house had an old boiler and hotwater tank system and with a combi boiler going in all the pipework was surplus to requirements. (no central heating in the old system). Now here is the money saving bit. Coppers scrap value is massive per kilo. all you have to do is phone round the scrappies and get a price they pay for pure copper scrap. then cut all the joins of the piping out, (ie soldered joins or any brass fittings.) as this will decrade the value of your copper. but dont throw them away (weight them in seperatly). take it all to the scrappies and make a fortune. the older your house the more likley you will make more money as older copper pipe was thicker and heavier.

Now here is the best bit...most plumbers "clear up" after themselves and take the copper away. if they do ask them for it or for the scrap value, and better still a rebate on the price of the work to include the scrap value of the copper, which they have not right to remove as its yours. Make sure the scrap dealer you take it do will except domestic scrap. remember the chances are the Hotwater tank is copper too...I've heard thay can be worth up £100 on there own.

thekid_2

...actually we(plumbers) are required to take it away, it's our responsibility as tradesmen. That's why we need a waste carriers license. I wish you were right though, I'd love to leave it all behind!

However in one aspect you are right, scrap copper is at a good price just now so get it in to your scrappy. I got £90 for a copper cylinder and back boiler the other week, along with a bag of mixed copper/brass that I couldn't be bothered separating out.

Also your stainless steel sink top is worth a few quid, plus its all environmentally friendly recycling! everyone is a winner eh.

I would quite happily leave any scrap for people to take in on their own. It's not really worth the hassle for a couple of pipe offcuts though.

Good tip though just now with copper prices so high at the moment.

Unfortunately the junkies know this too so I've had a few jobs replacing damaged plumbing where the undesirables had ripped them out, whole systems, water not turned off or anything!

btk

g60jet

thekid wrote:

...actually we(plumbers) are required to take it away, it's our responsibility as tradesmen. That's why we need a waste carriers license. I wish you were right though, I'd love to leave it all behind!

btk

From that site you have quoted it doesnt say that you are required to take it away, but what you do take away must be disposed of correctly.

I know british gas take it away due to contract they have with firms to dispose of it..but that scarp is your property not anyones unless you authorise it to be removed.

thekid_2

yeah bad link, that's coz i googled instead of proper research, sorry. It's still true though.

You can of course ask for any rubbish to be left, as I mentioned in agreement with you, in my original post. The onus however is on you to request it leaving and not the tradesman to request to take it away.

btk
[edit] Sorry for bumping the post, replied to that without thinking![/edit]