What should you do with an old copper hot water cylinder?
Short answer: An old copper cylinder is worth selling because it contains a good weight of copper, but it should be drained and disconnected by a qualified person first, the insulation and any steel jacket should be removed where practical, and it should be sold as copper rather than mixed metal, since a clean cylinder generally attracts a better price than one covered in foam and fittings.
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List Free →Make it safe first
Any hot water system should be drained and safely disconnected by a qualified person before it is removed, and you should never cut into one that is still connected to a supply.
Strip what is easy to strip
Removing foam, jackets and fittings leaves cleaner copper, which usually sells for more than a cylinder sold whole with its insulation.
Sell it as copper
Tell the buyer what it is, since a copper cylinder is a different product from a steel one and priced accordingly.
How ScrapTrade Fits In
ScrapTrade buyers can quote on a cylinder from a photo, so you can see what it is worth before you move it.
Knowing what you have is half the job. ScrapTrade connects UK sellers with verified buyers, transparent weighing and escrow-protected payments.
List or Find Scrap on ScrapTrade →Practical answers on what household scrap sells well in the UK and how a sale works in practice.