Keep Your Cool: Recycling Air Conditioners and Dehumidifiers

With the holidays approaching and the air getting cooler, it’s that time of year again. While, yes, it’s the time of year for hot chocolate and sledding, we mean something different here at Gold Circuit E-Cycling. At this time of year, we get an influx of old air conditioners and dehumidifiers. Because of the changing seasons, clients are taking window units out or replacing old systems. We want to make sure that all of our clients are informed about the importance of responsibly recycling these units. They contain refrigerant, which can have harmful effects on more than we might think.

 What We Accept

At Gold Circuit E-cycling, we accept any and all air conditioner and dehumidifier units. While these items normally have a price of $20 to recycle, we have recently lowered it to $10 to ensure that they are responsibly disposed of. All you need to do is bring them in to us, and we’ll do the rest of the work. What is so important about this?  

Refrigerant Recovery & Recycling

The most important thing to note about recycling these units is that they contain refrigerant. Refrigerant is a substance that is used for refrigeration and R-22 is the most frequently used type of refrigerant found in today’s CFC & HCFC devices. While an essential substance for these units, it also has a global warming potential that is 1,800 times that of carbon dioxide. With newer units, a high-pressure 410a gas is being used more frequently than the R-22, as R-22 can no longer be legally manufactured. What this means is that more of the units containing R-22 are being recycled or disposed of as people upgrade to newer units.

The Process

When we receive a unit to be recycled, we must first recover the refrigerant. We dismantle the unit for disposal and are required by law to take out the refrigerant and dispose of it separately. We move the refrigerant into a separate container and then decide the best route for its use. If the recycled refrigerant can be stripped of any impurities and meets purity standards, it can possibly be recycled and used with other pieces of equipment. Once the unit has been dismantled, plastic and metal parts are sorted and either recycled or disposed of.  

Importance of Recycling 

Since the R-22 gas is no longer legally made, the demand for it may rise, giving the opportunity to responsibly recycle this refrigerant for other uses. Our trained professionals make this decision on a case-by-case basis. Responsibly recycling these units is especially important for our environment.  R-22, if not properly used or disposed of, can affect the O-Zone layer, causing harmful effects on our environment. Refrigerant is not a substance we want sitting out at a landfill or seeping into the ground. They can also release harmful greenhouse gases with their global warming potential as stated earlier in the post.

We do our best to make it as easy on you as possible to drop off your units that need to be recycled. If we all do our part, we can protect the environment and the world around us each day. One small way to do that is through responsible recycling. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to get in contact with us. We’d love to share more information with you and answer any questions you may have.

We’d also like to remind you that we are now offering a HALF off deal on our air conditioner and dehumidifier units to make it even easier to recycle these units before the impending holiday season. This is a deal you’ll want to take advantage of!

You can reach out to us via phone (call or text) at 1-888-283-0007. We’re here to help you navigate the world of e-cycling.