In general I just try to remove any of the non-metal on appliances that are easy to remove. As far as refrigerators/freezers and AC units go, most want the compressors removed and drained of oil. Washers and dryers I remove the wiring harness also, as you can get a lot more for insulated copper than letting it stay on there and getting steel price. Most people, myself included, also remove the motors from washers and dryers. Again, the yards will pay more for these than if you just left them on there for steel price. Try to remove any non-ferrous (brass, copper, aluminum, etc) metals from the steel and put those aside until you get a stash saved, then turn them in. Steel here goes for about .09 per pound, but you can get over $3 a pound for copper, about $1.25 a pound for brass and about .60 a pound for aluminum.
