Had a similar experience myself—thought I had solid copper pipes, but turns out they were just copper-plated steel. Definitely worth doing a quick magnet test before hauling everything to recycling... saves you from disappointment and wasted trips.
Good tip on the magnet test—I learned that one the hard way too. Another quick trick is to scratch the surface lightly with a file or sandpaper. Copper-plated steel usually reveals a silvery color underneath pretty quickly, while solid copper stays consistent. Also, don't overlook old brass fixtures; they can add up surprisingly fast at recycling centers. Just make sure to remove any plastic or rubber bits first... recyclers appreciate clean metal, and it might even bump up your payout a bit.
Another handy trick I've stumbled upon is the weight test—solid brass and copper fixtures usually feel heavier than plated or cheaper metals. Learned this after lugging a box of "valuable" scrap to the recycler, only to find out half of it was junk metal...ouch. And yeah, definitely strip off the plastic bits first. Recyclers aren't exactly thrilled about sorting through your old shower curtain rings and rubber washers, trust me on that one.
"Learned this after lugging a box of 'valuable' scrap to the recycler, only to find out half of it was junk metal...ouch."
Been there, done that—definitely stings a bit when you realize how much effort went into hauling around worthless metal. Good call on stripping off plastics beforehand, too. One thing I'd add is giving fixtures a quick scratch test with a file or screwdriver. Brass and copper usually show a consistent color underneath, while plated stuff reveals a different metal beneath. Saved me from another disappointing recycling trip...
Yeah, learned that scratch test trick the hard way after hauling a bunch of "brass" fixtures that turned out to be plated junk. Now I always double-check—saves a lot of hassle and disappointment later...
