Are Circuit Breakers and Switchgear Worth Scrapping?

The Hidden Value in Electrical Scrap

Industrial switchgear and motor control centers (MCCs) are heavy, bulky items. If you take them to a standard scrap yard, they will likely weigh them as "shredder steel" or "electric motor break" and pay you pennies on the pound. This ignores the high-value components inside.

Inside a typical switchgear lineup, you will find:

• Copper Bussing: Thick, solid copper bars that route the electricity. This is high-grade #1 or #2 copper.
• Precious Metal Contacts: The actual contact points inside large breakers often contain silver alloys or tungsten to prevent arcing.
• Reusable Breakers: Brands like Square D, Siemens, Eaton, and GE have massive secondary markets. A working 800-amp breaker is worth far more than the copper inside it.

How to Maximize Your Return

To get the most money for your electrical tear-outs, do not smash the panels or cut the breakers apart. Leave the units intact and contact an electrical surplus specialist.

At Scrap Metal Buyers, we specialize in electrical assets. We will evaluate your switchgear, MCC buckets, and circuit breakers for their resale value first. Whatever cannot be reused, we will safely dismantle to extract the copper and precious metals, paying you a premium blended rate that standard scrap yards simply cannot match.

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