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How to properly dispose of a dead power supply?

S

Soulchaser

Member
Title sums everything up really. I had my main power supply die on my earlier this week. My computer just froze, and when I tried to restart I heard a popping noise. After I took it out of my case it started rattling and a tiny piece fell out.

Anyways, just throwing the thing away seems like it would be a bad idea, but I'm not sure how toxic the components of a power supply are. Are there places that take them in for recycling or anything else like that?
 
Originally posted by: Soulchaser
Title sums everything up really. I had my main power supply die on my earlier this week. My computer just froze, and when I tried to restart I heard a popping noise. After I took it out of my case it started rattling and a tiny piece fell out.

Anyways, just throwing the thing away seems like it would be a bad idea, but I'm not sure how toxic the components of a power supply are. Are there places that take them in for recycling or anything else like that?
Click to expand...

My local waste management has a place to drop off electronic items. They do charge you though, minimum 5$ up to probably 600lbs, after a certain point they price you based on weight
 
A lot of places will take e-waste for free now. Any number of companies now base their whole business plan on pulling useful metals out of e-waste. And they count on getting the e-waste for free from the end user.

Costco has a recycling program where they will recycle your stuff for free and maybe even give you a little money back. I don't know if they'll take your PSU, but it's useful info. Here's a link: http://www.greensight.com/Cost...ypes.aspx?SiteXfrMsg=1
 
First, thanks for being responsible.

Municipal recycling centers should take them. Some will charge $5 or so and some will not charge anything. My county recycling center charges $5 for a compete computer but will not charge anything for a single component.
 
Repair is often the best environmental practice but isn't economical when done professionally.

A product labelled "RoHS" (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) should be fairly safe to throw away with the regular garbage. Actually anything solid and inorganic will stay relatively inert in the dry ground of a licensed landfill, as many new-looking Big Macs found after decades of burial have demonstrated. But if you want to stay legal, take the PSU to the same place that handles consumer electronics so it can be hauled off to a Third World country where children will salvage it and be exposed to its toxins.
 
Personally, I'd pull it apart and desolder all the through-hole components, then store them away in case they are ever useful. But that isn't for everyone.
 
I would usually pull apart the PSU as well but the components are not stripped out. I don't seem to have a use for the parts in the PSU except all the cables, 80mm/120mm fan and the metal casing.
 
I doubt there's anything hazardous in there. Probably some good, recoverable copper and aluminum. If you recycle metal where you are, toss it in there.
 
BBMW said:
I doubt there's anything hazardous in there. Probably some good, recoverable copper and aluminum. If you recycle metal where you are, toss it in there.
Click to expand...
Except possibly ~400 V (200 V each, probably) in the filter capacitors after the PFC if the PSU is badly designed (no bleeder resistors).
 
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