Appliance Removal in Anderson, IN
Appliance removal splits into two groups in Anderson. Washers, dryers, ranges, dishwashers and water heaters are heavy but simple, and the city's Heavy Pick-Up lists appliances among the large items it collects. Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and anything else that ever contained Freon are another matter: the city excludes them from Heavy Pick-Up, and federal law requires their refrigerant to be recovered before they are scrapped. A careful hauler knows which is which. The junk removal price table lists what single appliances typically cost to remove.
Refrigerator about $35 - $150; washer or dryer about $70 - $205 · full pricing guide
The city's Waste Services page lists furniture and appliances as common acceptable Heavy Pick-Up items, except refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners or any other item that ever contained Freon. Residents on the city's service arrange Heavy Pick-Up with the city's trash contractor, and it runs the day after the regular trash day. A washer, dryer or range can often leave that way. A refrigerator or a window air conditioner is excluded, so it needs a different route.
The reason is refrigerant. Under the EPA's Section 608 safe disposal requirements, the final person in the disposal chain, typically a scrap metal recycler or a landfill, must make sure the refrigerant has been recovered from household refrigerators, freezers and window air conditioners before final disposal, or obtain a signed statement naming who recovered it, their address and the date. That is why scrap yards ask about refrigerant, and why a hauler taking a fridge needs a place that handles the recovery.
In Madison County, the East Central Indiana Solid Waste District's recycling center accepts appliances that contain Freon, and the Madison Avenue Transfer Station lists white goods, the trade term for large appliances, among the materials it takes, with fees by type and quantity. Appliances without refrigerant are mostly steel, so they usually end up as scrap metal. Working appliances in good condition can go to reuse: Habitat for Humanity of Madison County's ReStore in Chesterfield sells donated appliances.
Prices reflect weight and disposal. HomeGuide's 2026 figures list refrigerator removal at $35 to $60 and a washer or dryer at $70 to $205, while Angi puts refrigerator removal at $50 to $150. Basement laundry rooms, stairs to a second-floor apartment and built-in units that have to be pulled from cabinetry all add labor. Several appliances from a kitchen remodel or a rental turnover are often priced together as a share of a truckload.
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When an Appliance Needs a Hauler
Some appliances can wait for Heavy Pick-Up. These are the cases where a crew usually makes sense:
- A refrigerator, freezer or window air conditioner, which the city will not collect
- A washer and dryer in a basement laundry room
- Several appliances from a kitchen remodel
- A rental unit that has to be cleared before a new tenant
- An old chest freezer or second fridge in a garage
- A water heater replaced by a plumber who did not haul the old one
Clearing a whole kitchen or garage? See construction debris removal.
What happens to a refrigerator after it leaves
A refrigerator that leaves an Anderson kitchen is mostly steel, plastic and insulation, with a small amount of refrigerant and oil sealed in its cooling system. At a facility set up for appliances, a technician recovers the refrigerant with equipment designed for it, and the compressor oil is drained.
The shell then goes to scrap metal processing. The EPA's safe disposal rule puts responsibility on the last link in that chain, which is why a scrap yard asks for proof that refrigerant has been recovered, or a signed statement naming who did it, before it accepts the unit.
Getting heavy appliances out safely
Appliances are heavy for their size and awkward to grip. A refrigerator should be emptied, defrosted and wiped out a day ahead so water does not spill on the floor or stairs, and its doors taped shut or removed for the move. Washers need their water supply closed and the hoses drained, and front-loaders are heavier than they look.
Moving any appliance down stairs calls for an appliance dolly with straps and at least two people. Once it is outside, a refrigerator or freezer left at the curb should have its doors removed or secured, so no child can climb inside.
Remodels and water heater swaps
Kitchen remodels and appliance upgrades produce old units in batches. Some retailers and installers take the old appliance away when a new one is delivered, which is worth asking about when ordering.
When a water heater is replaced, the installer may or may not remove the old tank, and a tank full of sediment is heavier than it looks. A contractor finishing a remodel may leave appliances for the owner, and those can go with the rest of the remodel debris to a hauler, keeping in mind that anything with refrigerant needs to be handled separately.
Heavy Pick-Up, Drop-Off or a Hauling Crew
An unwanted appliance in Anderson usually leaves by one of these routes:
City Heavy Pick-Up
For washers, dryers, ranges and other appliances without refrigerant at homes on the city's trash service, arranged with the city's contractor and collected the day after trash day.
County recycling center
The Madison County Recycling Center accepts Freon-containing appliances, with fees that may apply. It suits owners who can load and haul a refrigerator during its limited hours.
Hauling crew
The crew carries the appliance out and delivers it to a scrap recycler or a facility that recovers refrigerant, at roughly $35 to $205 per appliance in 2026 guides.
Appliance Removal FAQs
Why won't the city's Heavy Pick-Up take a refrigerator?
The city's Waste Services page excludes refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and any other item that ever contained Freon from Heavy Pick-Up. Those appliances hold refrigerant, and federal EPA rules require it to be recovered before the appliance is scrapped or landfilled. In Madison County, the solid waste district's recycling center accepts Freon-containing appliances, and a hauler can deliver one to a facility that handles recovery.
What does refrigerator removal cost?
Published 2026 guides put refrigerator removal at about $35 to $60 (HomeGuide) and $50 to $150 (Angi). The higher end covers side-by-side and French-door models, basement or second-floor locations and units built into cabinetry. A refrigerator going out with other items is often priced within a truckload. Any fee for refrigerant handling at the receiving facility is usually part of what the hauler charges.
Should a gas dryer or range be disconnected before pickup?
Yes, and by someone qualified to do it. A gas appliance has to be shut off at its supply valve and the line capped so no gas escapes once the appliance is pulled away. Junk removal crews generally leave gas disconnection to a plumber or appliance technician. Electric appliances are simpler, needing only to be unplugged, and washers need their water valves closed and hoses drained before they are moved.
Can a working appliance be donated in the Anderson area?
Often. Habitat for Humanity of Madison County's ReStore in Chesterfield sells donated appliances along with furniture and building materials. Reuse stores generally want appliances that are clean, working and not too old, and they may ask for photos or the model number before accepting one. An appliance that works but is not accepted can still be sold privately or scrapped for its metal.
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