Electric heat coils

[Hades12]

Was cutting down AC units today and wonder what the heating coil in the indoor unit is made of. The electric heating coil.

anyone know?

[Dr. Cadmium]

I don't know much about AC units, but is this a resistance heating coil, like the kind commonly found in electric ranges and plug-in heaters? Basically, a curved black/gray solid metal piece?

Electric resistance heating coils found in heaters and ranges are sometimes made from cal-rod, a high nickel alloy. It's one of those more exotic materials that most yards don't buy because it's hard to get a large quantity together and hard to visually identify (usually you have to spark test every piece).

Most yards just buy heating coils as light iron or heavy steel.

[Hades12]

The look like what you would find in a toster, large loop coils, I will try to get a pic later tonight when I am back at the shop.

[Hades12]

This is what they look like.

electric-coil.jpg (30.04 KiB) Viewed 1047 times

[theirrationalist]

If its not magnetic, don't let them pay you steel price. If that is a nickel chromium Calrod, then from what I understand, they should have no problem buying it and then selling it along with some grade of stainless steel. I've never tried myself.

[Dr. Cadmium]

Those aren't the type of coil I was refering to. I don't know what alloy those in your photo are made of.

theirrationalist The last time I encountered cal-rod, I remember it being magnetic. Pure nickel is ferrous and sticks to a magnet like steel, and so are many high-nickel alloys. The only way to distinguish it from steel was with a spark test (it sparks like pure nickel) or with a chemical test.

For the average scrapper or small yard it's not worth dealing with exotics because it's too hard to accumulate a large quantity of them. If you come across a lot of exotics, your best course of action is to open an account with one of the few companies that deals with them. The one nearest to me requires one to have a legal business, a lot of paperwork filled out, high minimum quantities, and then they pay out 90 days after processing. Quite a hassle, and not practical for the backyard scrapper.

The only reason I even mentioned cal-rod was because from the description I thought that's what it could be.

[Hades12]

I get quite a few of these. I have one torn down and will be taking it to the yard this week. They are a very large operation and a hub for the SE, the guy there knows a great deal and will shoot them when he is not sure, they also have a lab on site.

[theirrationalist]

Dr. Cadmium I know nickel is magnetic. Any strictly Nickel chromium alloys is not magnetic, unless it is entirely nickel. I would never go through all of that crazy paperwork to sell my scrap, you're right. My yard buys nickel alloys, however, and their prices are much better than stainless. They always check with an XRF handheld, and don't bother with spark tests.

Hades12 are you from the midwest?

[Hades12]

NC South East.

[Hades12]

Spoke to the yard guy today and he said it goes as SS there.