What Copper & Silver in Your HVAC Equipment Are Worth Right Now
The federal government declared both copper and silver as U.S. Critical Minerals. They exist in every HVAC unit. Here's what they're worth — and what happens when they go to the landfill instead.
Why the Government Called These Minerals "Critical"
The U.S. Critical Minerals List exists for one reason: national security. These are materials that the American economy and defense infrastructure depend on, and for which the domestic supply is either insufficient or at risk. In 2022 and subsequent updates, both copper and silver were formally added to that list by executive order.
The reasoning is straightforward. Copper is the backbone of virtually every electrical and thermal system ever built — power grids, electric vehicles, renewable energy infrastructure, and HVAC systems. Silver is the highest-conductivity metal on Earth and is irreplaceable in precision electronics, solar panels, medical equipment, and defense systems. Neither has a viable substitute for most of its applications. And both are increasingly constrained by supply.
Meanwhile, millions of HVAC units are decommissioned every year in America. And most of the copper and silver in them goes straight to the landfill.
The number that matters: The average residential split system contains approximately 8–15 lbs of copper in coils, tubing, and wiring. A commercial rooftop unit contains 25–80 lbs. At current scrap prices of $3.50–$4.50 per pound for high-grade copper, that's real money being thrown away on every job site, every day.
Where Copper Lives in HVAC Equipment
Copper is not incidental to HVAC systems — it's fundamental. Here's where it is in every unit:
Evaporator and condenser coils are made from copper tubing, sometimes pure copper and sometimes aluminum fins over copper tubes. A standard residential evaporator coil contains 3–8 lbs of copper tubing alone.
Refrigerant lines connecting the indoor and outdoor units are copper pipe — high-grade, often Type L or Type ACR copper. In a residential installation that's typically 25–50 feet of line set, adding another 2–5 lbs.
Motor windings in compressors and fan motors are copper wire. The compressor in a standard residential unit contains 1–3 lbs of copper winding wire.
Electrical wiring throughout the system — from the disconnect to the control board, from the thermostat connections to the capacitor leads — is copper.
Where Silver Lives in HVAC Equipment
Silver is less obvious but equally present — and more valuable per pound.
Brazing alloys are the primary source. Every copper-to-copper joint in an HVAC system — and there are dozens — is brazed with an alloy that typically contains 15–45% silver. On a standard residential system, the total silver in brazing alloys typically runs 0.5–2 oz. On commercial systems, it can be significantly more.
Electrical contacts in thermostats, relays, and contactor switches use silver for its superior conductivity and resistance to arcing. Modern variable-speed drives and smart controls increase the silver content considerably.
Sensor components — thermocouples, pressure transducers, and temperature sensors — frequently use silver-bearing alloys for precision and reliability.
What They're Worth at Today's Market Prices
Market prices fluctuate, but here's a realistic picture for a typical residential job:
Copper scrap (mixed HVAC): $2.50–$4.00/lb depending on grade and purity. A residential split system: estimated $25–$60 in copper value. A commercial rooftop: $75–$320.
Silver in brazing alloys: Silver trades above $25/troy oz. Even at modest recovery rates, the silver in a residential system's brazing alloys can represent $15–40 in recoverable value when properly processed.
The T&K difference: Most scrap recyclers pay a flat mixed-metal rate that doesn't account for silver content at all. T&K's recovery program assesses purity levels separately — which means the silver in your brazing alloys actually gets credited to your payout. That's the regulated material accountability part of what we do.
What Happens When It Goes to the Landfill
The environmental argument gets made frequently, but the national security argument is less often heard: when copper and silver go to a landfill instead of the recycling stream, they're gone. Those materials cannot be recovered from a landfill. They are permanently removed from the domestic supply chain.
At a time when the U.S. government is actively trying to increase domestic critical mineral supply — to reduce dependence on imports and to support the clean energy transition — landfilling HVAC equipment is literally working against national interest.
The T&K recovery program exists to stop that. Every unit we process returns copper and silver to the domestic materials market. EPA certified. Fully documented. Paid to whoever brought it in.