A scrap water heater is worth $5 to $15 as a whole tank unit, based on 100-150 lbs of steel at $0.05-$0.10 per pound. The hidden value sits in the fittings: brass valves, copper pipes, and the anode rod add $3-$10 when pulled separately. Tankless water heaters are the exception, with copper heat exchangers pushing their scrap value to $15-$40 per unit.
| Grade / Item | Low | High | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator (whole) | $15 | $50 | USD/unit |
| Washing machine (whole) | $8 | $25 | USD/unit |
| Dryer (whole) | $5 | $20 | USD/unit |
| Water heater (tank) | $5 | $15 | USD/unit |
| AC compressor (sealed) | $5 | $25 | USD/unit |
| Sealed units per pound | $0.20 | $0.32 | USD/lb |
| AC coil, clean Cu/Al | $1.55 | $3.02 | USD/lb |
| Country | Typical Range | Per Tonne | Cur. |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $5 – $50 /whole unit | — | USD |
| Canada | C$7 – C$70 /unit | — | CAD |
| United Kingdom | £4 – £40 /unit | — | GBP |
| Germany / EU | €5 – €45 /unit | — | EUR |
| Australia | A$8 – A$75 /unit | — | AUD |
| India | ₹400 – ₹4,000 /unit | — | INR |
Rates for every other appliance are collected in the complete scrap metal price index.
What’s Inside a Water Heater
A standard tank water heater is one of the simplest appliances to scrap: a big steel cylinder with a handful of valuable bits attached. Here’s the material breakdown:
- Steel tank and jacket: 90-140 lbs at $0.05-$0.10/lb
- Brass drain valve and fittings: 1-2 lbs at $1.50-$2.50/lb
- Copper inlet/outlet pipes: 1-3 lbs at $2.50-$3.50/lb
- Copper heating elements (electric models): $1-$3 pulled
- Anode rod: Aluminum or magnesium, worth $0.50-$2
- Insulation and glass lining: Worthless, and the foam adds phantom weight
Gas and electric tank models scrap nearly identically. The meaningful price split is tank vs. tankless, and it isn’t close.
Tankless Is the Sleeper Value
Tankless water heaters weigh a fraction of tank units, maybe 30-60 lbs, but they contain a copper heat exchanger that changes the math completely. That exchanger is a dense block of copper worth $10-$25 on its own at $2.50-$3.50/lb.
Yards that price tankless units as generic light iron are underpaying badly. Either pull the heat exchanger yourself (usually 6-8 screws behind the front panel) or make sure the yard grades the unit as copper-bearing. This is the single biggest per-pound opportunity in water heater scrapping.
The 10-Minute Strip That Doubles Your Payout
Before hauling a tank unit, spend ten minutes with two wrenches:
- Unscrew the brass drain valve at the tank bottom. That’s $2-$4 of brass.
- Cut the copper stubs at the inlet and outlet. Even 6-inch stubs add up at copper rates.
- Pull the heating elements on electric models with a 1-1/2″ socket. Copper-bearing, $1-$3 each.
- Extract the anode rod from the top if it isn’t seized. Aluminum or magnesium, small money but free.
The stripped brass, copper, and elements typically add $5-$10 to a tank that would otherwise pay $8-$12 whole. That’s close to doubling the check for minimal effort.
Drain It or Regret It
A 50-gallon water heater that isn’t fully drained can hold 100+ lbs of trapped water and sediment. Yards know this trick and will dock heavily or refuse waterlogged tanks. Open the drain valve, tip the tank, and let it empty completely before loading. Years of calcium sediment at the bottom can hold water like a sponge, so give it time.
Common Mistakes That Cost You Money
- Scrapping a tankless unit as light iron: The copper heat exchanger is most of its value.
- Leaving brass and copper attached: The yard pays you steel price for brass parts, then harvests them itself.
- Hauling a wet tank: Docked weight or outright rejection.
- Ignoring a working unit’s resale: Newer working heaters, especially tankless, sell to landlords and flippers for $50-$300.
- Single-tank trips: An $8 payout rarely covers fuel. Stockpile or combine with other scrap.
Getting the Best Price
Drain completely, strip the brass and copper, and grade tankless units separately. If you’re a plumber or property manager cycling through multiple heaters a month, negotiate a standing rate with one yard rather than taking walk-in prices.
Water heaters rarely justify a solo trip, so batch them with a full appliance run. Our guides on washing machine scrap value, transformer prices, and scrap car batteries will help you price the whole load before you leave the driveway.