How Much Copper Is In A Mobile Home? (Find Out Now!)

If your mobile home has seen better days, you may be trying to figure out how to dispose of it. Since the resale value for mobile homes is usually not very high (especially for older models), you can decide to donate it or scrap it. If you end up choosing the latter option, you will need to find and dismantle the pieces of your house that have the most value.

Mobile homes often contain metals that have resale value at scrapyards. One of the most valuable scrap metals is copper. Depending on the market, you can get $1.50 up to $4.50 per pound for copper scraps. A mobile home can contain copper in its wiring, pipes, and old appliances. The amount of scrap-worthy copper in a mobile home will depend on its age and condition.

We’ll show you where to look to find out how much copper your mobile home has. Also, we’ll let you in on how (and where!) you can sell what you find.

If you want to find areas that are likely to have copper in your mobile home, you should check for wiring in the walls, electrical systems, plumbing, air conditioner unit, and even in your old household appliances. Also, areas that create heat such as hot water tanks, stoves, and wall heaters often contain copper. Copper.org suggests a home’s built-in appliances alone can have a total of 47 pounds of copper parts.

Older mobile homes built before 1973 may contain very little copper because many homes built in this timeframe used aluminum wiring, instead of copper. After 1973, copper wiring overtook aluminum as the new building standard. This is because copper presents less of a fire hazard than aluminum. So, if you are searching for copper in a mobile home that was built before 1973, you could just run up against a wall.

Copper is one of the most widely used metals and it is also one of the most expensive. Its most common uses are in the areas of construction, power generation, industrial machinery, and automotive industries.

The state of the economy has a big impact on the prices of copper. The demand for copper rises when more homes are being built and more cars are being sold. When the demand rises, the price of copper will also rise. The monetary value of copper since 2009 has fluctuated between $1.50 and $4.75.

Number 2 copper will not be as clean in appearance as the first 2 categories of copper. This grade will include unalloyed wire and pipe that may still have some paint or fittings attached. Some oxidation and tarnishing are allowed. Overall, # 2 copper should be at least 94% pure.

You can also call a scrap yard in your area to find out more specifically how they will categorize your copper and what price values they will assign. If you choose not to sort your copper, the scrap yard generally will set the price at the lowest copper value.

After you find how much copper is in your home and sort it, it is time to find the best place to sell it. To find a scrap yard near you, you can use a website such as Recycler Finder or iScrap. You will be able to search for yards that specifically buy copper and often you can see the price they offer as well through these finder websites.

Or, you can always go the old-fashioned route and use a phone book to lookup local numbers. When looking for the best scrap yard for metal, you can check reviews from other customers to see if the yard is reliable and will give you a fair price.

Another thing to keep in mind when selling copper is the legal aspect. Since copper is one of the more valuable types of copper, a scrap yard will want to make sure you have the right to sell the copper you bring in. You can sell copper at a scrapyard by registering your personal information with the scrap yard. Most likely, they will thumbprint you, as well.

Related Questions

Is copper recyclable?

Yes, copper is recyclable along with its alloys. Copper is also a fully sustainable source. In nature, it is a trace element that is present in rocks and seabeds.

How do you know if a mobile home has aluminum wiring instead of copper?

Mobile homes made between 1965 and 1973, often had aluminum wiring instead of copper. If you have only #12-gauge wiring, this indicates that your wiring is very probably aluminum wiring.

Is it OK to buy a house with aluminum wiring?

Aluminum wiring is no longer up to code for building standards (although it is not illegal). Aluminum posed a fire hazard in some homes, so it was replaced with copper.  If you buy a house with aluminum wiring, you will need to bring it up to code.