[TheForge] Refrigerator compressor/motors

[The Millers]

On Wednesday, November 3, 2004, at 06:56  PM, Dave Brown wrote:

> I have access to quite a few refrigerator motor compressor units that 
> work, only they have been cut out of the refrigerators.  There are at 
> least 100 of them and they are mine for the taking.  What I'm 
> wondering is:
>
> 1.  Is there enough copper inside the sealed units to make it worth my 
> while to cut them open and strip the copper out before taking them to 
> the scrap yard?
>
Inside the hermetically sealed units are a motor and compressor. Not 
much in the way of scrap. Scrap copper prices are fairly high, its more 
a matter of what's your time worth?
> 2.  Can these units be used successfully for low volume pressurized 
> air such as an air brush or filling a small portable pressure tank or 
> inflating car tires?
>
These compressors are designed to run as a sealed system with 
refrigerant oil as the lube. Running them "open" and "dry" I believe 
they wouldn't last too long.

> 3.  Any other thoughts on useful applications for these rather than 
> scrap?
>
If you are near an art school sculptors LOVE interesting looking scrap 
for found art, speaking for myself one could make a very interesting 
piece of sculpture with over 100 of these units!!

> 4.  I know these have oil in the gas lines, it's clear and I assume it 
> may be mineral oil?  What needs to be done so that the oil stays down 
> or recycles in the compressor area and doesn't travel up line to point 
> of use?
>
The oil is a refrigerant oil. Considered by the EPA as a hazardous 
material. You know the ozone layer and all. The oil itself is can have 
freon in solution from "mixing" in the compressor with the freon 
refrigerant.

> Start brainstorming, guys.  Start thinking.
>
> Dave Brown
> Heritage Smithing
> Green Bay, WI
>
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