How to Get Rid of Old Appliances the Right Way

Old appliances are one of the trickier things to get rid of. They are heavy, they do not fit in a normal trash pickup, and a few of them cannot legally just be thrown out. Here is how to handle them.

Do not leave it at the curb. Most cities in the Valley will not take a refrigerator, washer, or water heater with regular trash, and an appliance sitting out front can earn you a code complaint. It is also a scrapper magnet.

Know which ones need special handling. Anything with refrigerant, like refrigerators, freezers, and window AC units, has to have that refrigerant removed and handled properly under EPA rules before the metal can be recycled. That is not a DIY job.

Donate it if it still works. A running appliance is worth more to a family than to a scrap pile. Donation centers and neighbors will often take a working fridge or washer, and it keeps a big piece of metal out of the landfill.

Recycle the rest for the metal. Even a dead appliance is mostly steel and other metals that can be recycled instead of buried. That is where a hauler comes in.

Where we fit in: we pick appliances up from wherever they sit, no dragging them outside, handle refrigerant units properly, donate the ones that still run, and recycle the metal on the rest. One text with a photo and it is off your hands.