Single-item removal
Appliance removal and disposal in the NW Chicago suburbs
Appliances are heavy, awkward, and in the case of anything that cools, legally regulated. A dead refrigerator in the garage is not something you can put at the curb and forget about.
- Licensed & Insured
- 1 to 2 Hour Response
- Free Estimates
- 5.0 from 47 Google Reviews
- Family Owned
Why this one is harder than it looks
A side-by-side refrigerator runs 250 to 350 pounds with a high center of gravity, which makes stairs genuinely dangerous for two untrained people. Front-load washers hold a concrete counterweight and weigh more than they look. Water heaters keep 40 to 50 gallons in them until drained, and older ones are often corroded into their connections.
Where it actually ends up
Anything containing refrigerant, meaning refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers, goes to a facility certified to recover it. Federal EPA rules require recovery by a certified technician before disposal, which is the main reason these cost more to handle than a sofa. Once recovered, the steel carcass goes to a scrap metal recycler, as do washers, dryers, stoves, and water heaters, which are largely steel by weight.
How we do it
- Confirm the unit is unplugged, and that gas or water lines are shut off and disconnected
- Drain water heaters and washers before anything is moved
- Strap and dolly the unit rather than carrying it, especially on stairs
- Protect door frames and flooring on the path out
- Route refrigerant-bearing units to a facility certified to recover it
- Sweep the space, which after a decade under a fridge usually needs it
What drives the price
- Whether the unit contains refrigerant, which requires certified recovery
- Stairs, and specifically basement stairs with a turn in them
- Number of units, since a matched washer and dryer pair prices better together
- Whether disconnection from gas, water, or a hard-wired circuit is needed
- Built-in and cabinet-integrated units, which take longer to free
Free estimates, quotes typically starting around $125
Before you call us
Can your village take it instead?
Village programs treat appliances differently from ordinary bulk. Barrington's Groot service requires a scheduled paid special pickup for appliances. Hawthorn Woods actually handles white goods well, taking them outside the two-item weekly limit through Waste Management, so if you are in Hawthorn Woods with one appliance and no deadline, use that. Call us for volume, for basement stairs, or when you need it gone before a closing.
See the rules for your townAppliance Removal questions
Appliance Removal, answered
Still have a question? Give us a call, we pick up.
- Refrigerant. Federal rules require a certified technician recover it before the unit can be scrapped, so there is a real processing cost attached to every fridge, freezer, AC unit, and dehumidifier that a sofa does not carry.
Need it gone?
Send a photo and we will quote it. We answer in 1 to 2 hours.