Call Astro City Scrap Metal today for the latest copper recycling prices 77076. We can give you the most up-to-date scrap metal prices.
Want to know more about scrap metal services? We’re here to help. Here are some of the most common questions we see about scrap metal.
How is scrap metal priced?
Scrap metal buyers pay by the pound. It’s highly unlikely dealers will pay by scrap.
Market prices for every metal are based on the current demand. As a result, scrap metal prices can change daily.
Copper is one of the most valuable scrap metals and is often found in electrical wires
How much is my scrap metal worth?
Below are some common price ranges we see for some of the most common scrap metals. However, we encourage you to call your local scrap metal buyer to find out the latest prices, including copper recycling prices 77076.
Copper: Copper content drives the selling price. Pure copper can sell for $4.00 per pound or higher, but scrap with a low copper content may only sell for 50 cents per pound.
Aluminum: Aluminum is all around us, and you’ll need a pretty good amount to make a decent profit. The two most common types of aluminum usually sell for less than a dollar per pound.
Insulated Wire: Here is where you will find the greatest price range. For example, a No. 10 wire will sell for about $4.00 per pound, but a No. 2 often brings in about $1.50 per pound.
Brass: You can expect to sell your brass scrap for about $2.50 per pound. Red brass often sells slightly higher than yellow brass.
Metal properties matter
Scrap metal is either ferrous or non-ferrous. Ferrous scrap sells for a lot less than non-ferrous scrap and is often not worth selling. So, if you don’t know what type of metal you have, it’s best to try to find out whether your metal is ferrous or non-ferrous before bringing it to your local scrap yard.
Ok, but what is non-ferrous and ferrous scrap? A ferrous metal is magnetic, and a non-ferrous metal is not magnetic.
Thankfully, you can easily tell which you have by selling whether a magnet will stick to your metal. Magnets stick to ferrous metal but fall off of non-ferrous metal.
Why are copper recycling prices 77076 so high?
Copper is considered the most valuable metal because it’s in high demand with low availability. It is the primary choice for electrical wires and the preferred choice for cookware because it is extremely durable and an unbeatable conductor. In addition, it can kill bacteria, which is making it more popular in the medical industry.
Can I sell my auto parts for scarp?
Yes! There are multiple kinds of auto parts that are sold to scrap yards. Radiators and catalytic converters are the most well-known.
Radiators
Older cars (before 1990) used catalytic converters with a high brass content, which can sell pretty high. In addition, some radiators can contain as much as 70% copper.
Today, most radiators are aluminum and have plastic on their ends. However, some radiators contain iron, which is a ferrous metal. So be sure to test your radiator first, or contact your local scrap dealer in Houston, Texas, if they will test it for you.
Radiators often contain aluminum, but some can have up to 70% copper
For both older and newer radiators, it’s important to remove, as much as possible, any ferrous metals and plastic around the radiator. If a radiator has these, it can sell for less because scrap yards will consider it “dirty.”
Catalytic converters
Catalytic converters contain palladium and platinum, which are very high-value metals. Cars that are the most fuel-efficient, such as Toyotas, have the best catalytic converters. As a result, they will sell at a higher price.
What do catalytic converters do?
Catalytic converters convert hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide into less harmful emissions. Hydrocarbons become carbon dioxide and water. Carbon monoxide becomes its relative carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxide becomes a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen.
Catalytic converter theft
Unfortunately, catalytic converter theft is on the rise because they are one of the higher selling scrap metals. In addition, police officers have warned that it’s fairly easy to steal a catalytic converter because there is no barrier around it–it’s completely exposed underneath your car. In fact, a catalytic converter can be stolen in less than 3 minutes.
In Houston, Texas, the crime has become so bad that thieves cut them off in broad daylight. Thefts have taken place in parking lots, driveways, streets, etc. Thankfully, there are laws on the rise that will considerably deter theft.
There has been a history of no accountability for scrap yards accepting catalytic converters. Carmakers do not etch the VIN into the catalytic converter, so there is no way to know whose it is. However, lawmakers are introducing bills that will make it a crime for scrap yards to buy catalytic converters without proof of a VIN.
To protect your catalytic converter, you can:
- Etch the VIN on your catalytic converter. This forces both the seller and the scrap dealer to be more accountable.
- Paint it with high-temperature, bright paint. A simple and easy fix, painting your catalytic converter will tip off police officers and scrap dealers that your catalytic converter has been stolen.
- Cage it. This is a much more involved process, but thieves will move on if you put a metal cage around your catalytic converter. It would be too much work to cut into the metal.
Get unbeatable copper recycling prices 77076 at Astro City Scrap Metal
About Astro City Scrap Metal
We are the fastest-growing scrap yard in Houston, TX. We buy, sell, and recycle all non-ferrous (non-magnetic) metal for the best price, guaranteed.
Metals we accept and do not accept
We accept all non-ferrous metals such as copper, brass, aluminum, stainless steel, wires, radiators, and more. We cannot accept ferrous metals (magnetic metals), such as iron and steel.
In addition, for safety and legal reasons, we cannot accept certain items such as air conditioners with freon, batteries, computers, radioactive materials, asbestos-contaminated material, mercury metals, closed containers, etc. A full list of items we cannot accept is available on our site.
We are your local Houston Scrap Yard
The next time you need unbeatable copper recycling prices 77076, we hope you’ll give Astro City Scrap Metal a call.
Fun Facts
- Buffalo Bayon is 53 miles long and runs through Houston and across Harris County.
- JP Morgan’s Chase Tower is the tallest building in Texas, standing 1,002 feet tall.
- If you love bats, head to Waugh Drive Bridge at night to watch the 250,000 free-tailed bats take off into the night.
- Each August, Miller Outdoor Theater hosts Shakespeare in the Park, and you can sit on the lawn to watch the show for free.
For more fun Houston facts, visit their website.