The bulky and complex machinery always end up being trouble after exhausting their manufacturer’s timeline of functioning. Refrigerators are one of those; they aren’t paper or plastics that you can throw off; they don’t come that cheap, so what should be done?
Here’s What to Do with Old Refrigerators –
Old refrigerators can be best used if you can find its alternative use in your home such as as a pantry refrigerator. You can give it to friends and relatives in need. You can also sell your old refrigerator as a garage sale to tenants & needy people for few hundred dollars. If your refrigerator is in very bad condition, you can sell it for scrap and still make close to a hundred dollar easily.
Now, to help you sell the refrigerator at best price or give you totally new direction to use your old refrigerator for practical uses, we’ve created this detailed article telling the what things you can do with your old refrigerator to make either keeping it or departing worthwhile. Read on!
Can I Sell My Old Refrigerator?
The old refrigerator can be sold off at a fair price in both the cases of it being in working condition or non-working condition. Dumping them roadside or in a wasteyard is thus a loss to your purse. Also, the laws of certain countries bar you from doing so, citing safety hazards
Working condition:
The refrigerators that pass the optimal quality checks and are labeled “reusable” can be sold at various places. The yard sales could be a befitting option if the retailers of second-hand appliances are undervaluing the apparatus. Another shot could be the online mode of selling.
One must always be on the lookout for local camps and programs organized by local authorities that offer fair prices for reusable fridges. If your refrigerator is not worn out and still is in proper working condition, you can trade it off for $300-$800.
Scrap condition
The refrigerators that have stopped working can also be traded for cash
- The recycling of old fridges can be done by trading them off to local metal recyclers.
- Many organizations stimulate annual programs for the recycling of old fridges; these are trusted camps and are initiated for reducing ozone depletion that is produced through the hazardous dumping of fridges.
- The local municipality operator can also be contacted, and a pickup can be scheduled
The scrap refrigerators are not entirely scrap if they can earn you a good $30-$80 in exchange for some calls.
Can I Recycle My Used Refrigerator?
The recycling of refrigerators that have turned scrap is the best way to deal with them. They can be recycled at nearby metal scaping plants or through government campaigns that encourage the recycling of refrigerators to ensure the minor ozone interference of hazardous CFCs in refrigerators. You can contact your nearby municipal operator a schedule a pickup.
The perks of trading a refrigerator into recycling plants are directly monetary; you can sell off your old refrigerator to a metal recycler quickly at a rate of $0.30 per pound. It can be even higher if your fridge’s body is made up of steel or stainless steel instead of alumiunium sheet.
Recycling initiatives are promoted by countries, and programs are often conducted for it. These programs often yield handsome profits in terms of discounts for purchasing new fridges or direct cash that is even better than regular metal recycling plants.
Is Old Refrigerator Dangerous?
The old refrigerators can be a source of hazardous gases in both situations, whether being used or just being kept as scrap. The dangerous nature is for either of the two reasons:
- If the refrigerator is an older model, it is severely hazardous as the older refrigerators used ammonia and other toxic gases as a coolant. These gases are poisonous and lead to severe medical disorders.
- The newer models are also not safe once they turn old. This happens because the gases employed in the cooling mechanism are greenhouse gases, and on account of overuse, certain leakages may cause the refrigerator to turn into scrap. Though it has turned into trash, it continuously emits the greenhouse gases responsible for ozone depletion.
Practical Ideas to Use Old Refrigerator
A listicle of ideas is rolled out below to renovate your old fridge and transform it into something usable.
- Transformation to a Couch – The old refrigerator can be laid on its back, and by installing a foam bed onto the top, a couch can be designed.
- A cabinet for the kitchen – The shelves of the fridge provide an organized cabinet for kitchen eatables as well as raw vegetables.
- Bookshelf – For people who like to own book collections, old refrigerators can serve as a rack for those books; with an optimal and suitable space owing to distributed trays, the fridge can be a great bookshelf.
- House for pets – The fridge can be laid to its side, and appropriate space can be created for a dog house or a nest for birds and other pets
The appropriate removal of machinery at the rear end of the old refrigerator, for example, compressor, fan blades, water tray units, etc., to avoid hazardous gases leaking the above improvisation can be carried out to transform your scratch refrigerator into something useful
Conclusion
So, there are lots of ways you can use your old refrigerator such as using it as a pantry storage unit or to save some temperature-strict items. But if it’s too old then it’s better to sell it second-hand as old refrigerator can leak dangerous gases which are toxic for environment & health. They also need regular maintenance and keep you away from many useful features that new refrigerator have.
You can resell it to neighbours in garage sale, online marketplace or even give it to pawn shops, donation camps or at last scrap/recycling houses. So, you have enough options to give your refrigerator at good money or not.
