How to Get Rid of Old Appliances Without Leaving Them at the Curb

A dead refrigerator is one of the most awkward things a homeowner has to deal with. It weighs two to three hundred pounds, it will not fit through a doorway without coming off its hinges, and unlike a broken chair you cannot simply put it out with the trash. The same is true, to varying degrees, of washers, dryers, stoves, water heaters, and window air conditioners.

Why you cannot just put it at the curb

Two reasons: weight and refrigerant.

Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers contain refrigerant, which is federally regulated and has to be recovered by someone certified to do it before the unit can be scrapped or landfilled. That is why bulk collection programs almost always exclude them, and why a fridge left at the curb tends to still be there a week later.

There is also a safety issue that gets overlooked. An abandoned refrigerator or freezer with the door still attached is a genuine entrapment hazard for children. If a unit is going to sit outside for any length of time, take the door off.

The five real options

1. Retailer haul-away on delivery

If you are replacing the appliance, this is almost always the cheapest route — most retailers will take the old unit when they deliver the new one, either free or for a modest fee. The catch is that it has to be arranged at purchase, it only covers a like-for-like swap, and the unit usually has to be disconnected and accessible before the truck arrives.

2. Utility rebate programs

Some utilities run recycling programs for working-but-inefficient second refrigerators and freezers, occasionally with a rebate. Worth ten minutes checking whether one is running, because it is the only option that pays you. It only applies to units that still run.

3. Scrap metal

Washers, dryers, and stoves are mostly steel and a scrap yard will generally take them. You need a way to transport them, and yards will refuse anything with refrigerant still in it.

4. Donation

Only worth pursuing if the appliance genuinely still works. Charities that accept appliances test them, and a unit that does not run costs them money to dispose of. Be honest about condition — dropping a dead appliance on a nonprofit just moves your problem onto someone with a smaller budget.

5. Removal service

This is the option for a dead unit that is not a like-for-like replacement, is in an awkward spot, or is one of several things you need gone. We take it from wherever it sits — laundry room, second floor, back yard — and handle getting it out. Appliance removal starts at $100 and furniture removal at $85, with no minimum load size, so a single item is a normal job.

Prepping an appliance for removal

• Disconnect it properly. Water lines closed and drained, gas shut off at the valve, unit unplugged. Gas appliances should be disconnected by someone qualified.
• Empty and defrost refrigerators and freezers. A unit full of standing meltwater is heavier, and it will drip through your house on the way out.
• Tape or remove the door. Prevents it swinging open on stairs, and removes the entrapment hazard if it sits outside first.
• Clear the path. The doorway, hallway, and any turn between the appliance and the driveway. Most difficulty in appliance removal is geometry, not weight.
• Say if there are stairs. It changes how many people we bring.

What it costs

Appliance removal starts at $100 and furniture removal at $85. If you have several appliances plus other junk, volume-based junk removal usually works out cheaper than paying per item — quarter loads start at $150. Tell us what you have and we will point you at whichever is less expensive. Estimates are free either way.