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If you have some copper wire you plan on taking to a scrap metal yard, you may wonder what needs to be done to prepare the wires so that you can make the most amount of money. If so, make sure you avoid the following mistakes that could cost you money when trying to sell your copper wire to scrap metal buyers.

Neglecting to Strip the Wires

Especially if you have recently torn down a structure to get the copper wires, they most likely have a plastic coating around them. If they do have a coating, do not make the mistakes of simply taking them to the scrap yard in this condition. If you want to make more money per pound for the wire, you will need to strip them first.

Because the wires need to be stripped before they can be melted down at the recycling yard, taking coated wires to the buyer means their workers will have to be paid to complete this step. And, because the buyer will have to pay someone else to strip the wires, you will receive less money per pound for your copper. 

However, if you take the time to strip the wires beforehand, the buyer will be able to pass on the money they save in wages to you. This means you can make more money for your clean wire.

Burning the Covering off the Wires

While making sure you take clean copper wires to the scrap yard can yield you more money, the way you clean the coating off of them can also contribute to the amount you can make. Another mistake you should avoid making is to take the easy way out and burn the coatings off of the wires.

When copper is burned, the surface of the metal is scorched, which means it is less valuable to the buyer at the scrap yard. If you burn the plastic off of the wires, they will be able to tell and not give you top dollar for your wires.

However, if you take the time to remove the wires with a pair of strippers, the copper will remain unscorched. When you clean the copper wires in this manner, the buyer will most likely give you a better price.

Avoiding the mistakes above before hauling copper wire to the recycling yard can help you make more money when you sell it. For more information on how to prepare copper and other metals, speak with the scrap metal buyer at the recycling yard to see if they have any specific requirements.