Disassembling a refrigerator motor for copper without a grinder: a step-by-step guide with photos

Disassembling a refrigerator compressor for non-ferrous metal is a task faced by both beginners and experienced scrap collectors. The main difficulty is to extract copper winding as cleanly as possible, without damaging it or losing precious grams. Most instructions on the Internet suggest using an angle grinder, but this method is fraught copper meltingwith the formation of chips and the risk of injury. In this article we will look at alternative methodswhich will allow you to carefully dismantle the motor without a noisy and dangerous tool.

It is important to understand that compressors refrigerators (for example, models Danfoss, Embraco or Secop) have different designs, but the principle of disassembly remains similar. We will focus on universal techniques that work for 90% of household appliances. You will also learn which handy tools replace the grinder, how to avoid common mistakes and where to look for hidden reserves of copper in the motor.

Before you begin, please note: the process requires patience. On average, disassembling one compressor takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on its condition and your experience. But the result will justify the efforts: pure copper without scale and weight loss.

1. Preparation: tools and safety measures

Before you begin disassembling, prepare the workplace and the necessary tools. Safety here it is no less important than when working with an angle grinder - the compressor contains oils, gases and sharp edges.

Here is what you will need:

• 🔧 A set of open-end wrenches (sizes 10–19 mm) - for unscrewing the fasteners.
• 🔨 Hammer (preferably with a rubber striker) and chisel - for careful opening body.
• 🗡️ Hacksaw or blade from hacksaws - the main tool instead of a grinder.
• 🧲 Magnet —for collecting metal shavings and fasteners.
• 🧤 Gloves (preferably rubberized) and glasses —protection from oil and splinters.
• 🧴 Solvent (for example, White spirit) - for cleaning copper from oil.
• 📦 Container for collecting oil - the compressor can contain up to 300 ml of technical liquid.

If the compressor has been dismantled recently, let it settle at least 24 hours in a warm room. This is necessary so that refrigerant (freon) completely evaporates. Working with a hermetic compressor is dangerous - if opened, it may occur water hammer.

⚠️ Attention: Do not try to pierce the compressor housing welding machine or gas torch. This causes oil residues to ignite and release toxic fumes. Also avoid working in enclosed spaces - refrigerant vapors are harmful to the respiratory tract.

2. Dismantling the compressor: what needs to be done before disassembling

If you remove the compressor from the refrigerator yourself, and do not buy it separately for scrap metal, start with proper dismantling. This will save time and effort in further stages.

Sequence of actions:

1. Unplug the refrigerator and let it defrost (if it is still working).
2. Turn the unit on its side or back - this makes it easier to get to the compressor.
3. Disconnect start relay (black box on the motor body) - it is secured with latches or screws.
4. Have a snack copper tubes (input and output) using a pipe cutter or hacksaws. Step back from the compressor at least 5 cm —this will simplify further disassembly.
5. Unscrew the mounting bolts holding the compressor to the refrigerator frame (usually 3-4 bolts per 10–13 mm).

After dismantling, inspect the compressor for presence external damage. If the housing is warped or rusted, it may make disassembly more difficult. In such cases, use penetrating lubricant (for example, WD-40) to facilitate unscrewing the nuts.

3. Opening the compressor housing: step-by-step process

Now we move on to the most important stage - opening the sealed housing. The main rule here is: Take your time. Rushing will lead to damage to the winding or loss of copper in the chips.

Action algorithm:

1. Drain the oil. Turn the compressor over with the filler neck down (it is located on the top of the housing) and let the oil drain into the prepared capacity. In some models, the neck is closed with a plug - it can be knocked out with a chisel.
2. Remove the top cover. It is secured with 3-4 bolts around the perimeter. If the bolts are stuck, use gas burner (carefully!) to heat or lubricant.
3. Remove the rotor with winding. After removing the cover you will see stator (fixed part) and rotor (rotating part with copper winding). The rotor usually sits on the shaft - it needs to be carefully moved up using a wooden wedge or a screwdriver.

If the rotor does not give way, do not hit it hammer directly - this deforms the winding. It is better to use puller or make a lever from two screwdrivers, placing a wooden block between them.

Drain the oil into the container|Unscrew the bolts of the top cover|Check for the presence of refrigerant (no hissing when opening)|Prepare tools for extraction rotor-->

4. Removing a copper winding without a grinder

When the rotor is removed, you will see copper wirewound on the core. The main task is to separate it from the stator without damaging it. Let's look at two proven methods.

Method 1: Cutting with a hacksaw

• 🔄 Turn the rotor over and clamp it in a vice core up.
• 📏 Apply markings along the cut line - it should pass between the windings, and not through them.
• 🔪 Carefully cut the core with a hacksaw. Do not press hard - let the blade work on its own.
• 🧲 After cutting, separate the halves of the core and remove the winding. It may fall out on its own or require light tapping with a hammer.

Method 2: Burning out the core (for experienced)

This method is suitable if you have access to blowtorch or gas burner. The point is to heat the core to a temperature at which it loses strength, but the copper remains intact.

• 🔥 Light the burner and heat the core evenly on all sides (3–5 minutes).
• 🛠️ When the metal turns red, hit it with a hammer - the core will crack, freeing the winding.
• ⚠️ Work outdoors! When heated, toxic fumes are released from oil residues.

Critical caveat: if the winding is soldered to the contacts, do not try to tear it off. Use a 100+ Watt soldering iron to melt the solder.

5. Cleaning copper: how to remove varnish and oil

The removed winding is covered with a layer enamel varnish and impregnated compressor oil. In order for copper to be accepted at the maximum price, it must be cleaned. Here's how to do it:

Removing varnish:

• 🔥 Firing. Ignite the winding over an open fire (bonfire, burner) until the varnish turns black. Then cool and scrub with a wire brush. The varnish will crumble, revealing pure copper.
• 🧪 Chemical method. Immerse the winding in the solution caustic soda (100 g per 1 liter of water) for 1-2 hours. The varnish will soften and be washed off with water.

Oil removal:

• 🧴 Wipe the winding with a rag soaked in solvent or gasoline.
• 🚿 Wash under hot water with detergent (for example, Fairy).
• ☀️ Dry in the sun or in the oven at 100°C (10-15 minutes).

After cleaning, the copper should acquire a characteristic color. If dark spots remain, repeat the procedure. Pure copper weighs more and is estimated at 10-30% more expensive by the reception points. contaminated. reddish tint. If dark spots remain, repeat the procedure. Pure copper weighs more and is estimated by collection points to be 10–30% more expensive than contaminated copper.

⚠️ Attention: When firing copper in the open air, use respirator. Varnish vapors are toxic and can cause dizziness. Also avoid firing near flammable materials - the burning temperature of copper reaches high temperatures. 1000°C.

6. Where else to look for copper in the refrigerator

The compressor is not the only source of copper in the refrigerator. If you disassemble the unit completely, pay attention to these details:

• 🧲 Condenser (radiator on the back wall). Contains copper tubes with a diameter of 4–6 mm. They can be cut with a hacksaw and flattened for easy transportation.
• 🔌 Start relay. There is one inside copper contacts and coil winding (weight up to 50 g).
• 💡 Lighting lamp. In older models they are used copper wires cross section 0.75–1.5 mm².
• ❄️ Evaporator (in the freezer chamber). Aluminum, but sometimes contains copper connections at solder points.

The average refrigerator (for example, Atlant or Samsung 2000s) contains from 500 g to 1.5 kg copper, depending on the model, the compressor gives the lion's share - up to. 80%. When in doubt, try scratching the wire with a knife: copper leaves a reddish mark, aluminum leaves a white mark.

How to distinguish copper from aluminum in wires?

Copper has a reddish tint, aluminum has a silvery tint. Also, copper bends without breaking, while aluminum breaks when bent repeatedly. If in doubt, try scratching the wire with a knife: copper leaves a reddish line, aluminum leaves a white line.

7. Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced scrap metal collectors make mistakes that lead to loss of copper or injury. Here are the most common ones:

• ⚡ Working with an unsettled compressor. If there is freon left in the system, when opened it may explosively expand, knocking out the lid with great force.
• 🔨 Use of an angle grinder at high speeds. This leads to melting of the copper and loss of up to 30% of weight due to scale.
• 🧲 Loss. shavings. When cutting the core, small particles of copper fly apart. The solution is to work on sheet of plywood or use a magnet to collect.
• 💧 Untimely cleaning. If you leave copper with oil for a long time, it will polymerize and remove it will be more difficult.

Another common problem is overheating of the winding during firing. If the copper has become brittle and crumbles, it means that you have exceeded the temperature. Optimal mode: heating to 400–500°C (red glow) followed by cooling in air.

8. Where to sell copper and how much you can earn

The price of copper depends on its purity and current quotes on the London Metal Exchange (LME) In 2026, average prices in points. reception in Russia and the CIS are as follows:

Where is it more profitable to donate:

• 🏭 Large collection points. They give a high price, but require a large volume (from 10 kg).
• 📦 Small pawnshops. They accept any quantities, but the price is lower by 10–15%.
• 🌍 Online services. For example, MetallInvest or Lom.ru offer on-site assessment.

Advice: before delivery weigh the copper on electronic scales and compare the indicators with the scales of the reception point. Unscrupulous receivers sometimes underestimate the weight by 5-10%.

⚠️ Attention: C 2023 in Russia, the rules for accepting non-ferrous metal scrap have been tightened. To hand over copper worth more than 5,000 rubles, you may need passport and agreement. purchases and salesCheck the rules in your region.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about disassembling compressors

Is it possible to disassemble a compressor without a vice?

Yes, but this will complicate the process. Alternatives:

• Clamp the compressor between two. boards, tightening them with clamps.
• Use a heavy hammer as a counterweight when cutting.
• Ask an assistant to hold the part while working.

Without fixation, the risk of damage to the winding increases by 40%.

How to understand that there is no more freon in the compressor?

Signs:

• When the housing is punctured, no hissing is heard.
• Frost does not form at the puncture site.
• The compressor has been kept warm for at least a day.

If in doubt, do a test: hold a lit match to the hole. If the flame does not go out, there is no freon.

How much copper is in the compressor from a ZIL refrigerator of the 1980s?

Old Soviet compressors (for example, HKV-8 or FG-0.18) contain 1.2–1.8 kg copper - almost 2 times more than in modern models. This is due to:

• Larger winding size (wire thickness up to 1.5 mm).
• Lack of savings on materials.
• The presence of additional copper parts (for example, thicker condenser tubes).

What to do if the winding is stuck to the core?

Solutions:

1. Heat the core with a gas burner to 200–300°C (it will darken), then try to move the winding.
2. Soak the rotor in kerosene for 12 hours - this will dissolve the oxides.
3. Use puller with brass lips so as not to damage the copper.

Do not try to peel off the winding with a knife - this will lead to loss of up to 50% of the copper.

Can a microwave be used to heat a compressor?

Absolutely not! A microwave is not designed to heat metal objects. This will lead to:

• Fire (sparking inside the chamber).
• Failure of the magnetron.
• An explosion of freon residues.

For heating, use only a burner, blowtorch or oven.