How to Get Rid of an Old Washer and Dryer
Disconnect it safely, then pick the route that fits your basement stairs.
A washer and dryer contain no refrigerant, so they are simpler to dispose of than a refrigerator. The City of Pittsburgh lists washers and dryers as bulk items and collects two bulk items a week at no charge with regular refuse pickup. The other options in Pittsburgh are scrap metal recycling, retailer haul-away with a new delivery, an Allegheny County transfer station for a fee, or a removal crew. Shut off the water and unplug the washer before moving it, and have a gas dryer's supply line shut off at the valve.
Laundry appliances are heavy, they are almost always in a basement, and they are connected to water, electric, and sometimes gas. The disposal part is easy. The disconnection and the stairs are where people get hurt.
Quick Facts
- Refrigerant
- None, unlike a fridge
- City bulk pickup
- Yes, 2 items per week, no charge
- Mostly steel
- Yes, scrap value exists
- Gas dryer
- Shut the supply valve first
- People needed
- 2, always on stairs
Your Options, Start to Finish
1.Set them out for City bulk collection
The City of Pittsburgh names stoves, washers, and dryers on its bulk item list and collects two bulk items a week with regular refuse pickup, at no charge. They go out with your regular pickup, and the City only asks you to call for more than two items. A washer and dryer pair uses both of your two for that week.
You have to get them to the curb, which usually means up the basement stairs, between 6 PM the night before and 6 AM on collection day. This is the City's rule only, and the City doesn't take Freon appliances this way. Suburbs set their own bulk rules.
2.Scrap metal recycling
Washers and dryers are mostly steel, so scrap yards in the region will take them and some pay by weight. It is the most environmentally clean route and occasionally puts a little money back in your pocket.
You have to deliver it, which means getting 175 pounds up the basement stairs and into a truck. Call the yard first for current acceptance and whether they pay on appliances.
3.Retailer haul-away
Appliance stores will take the old pair when they deliver the new one, usually for a small fee or bundled into the delivery.
Arrange it at purchase. Delivery crews generally will not disconnect gas lines, so a gas dryer often needs to be disconnected before they arrive.
4.Allegheny County transfer station
County-area transfer stations listed by the City accept large appliances, generally for a fee.
Same problem as scrapping: the hard part is the stairs and the truck, not the destination. Confirm the fee and hours before you drive.
5.Hire a removal crew
Two people, a stair-climbing dolly, floor protection, and the pair is out of the basement and gone. Stacked units get separated in place.
Say upfront whether the dryer is gas or electric so the right person shows up. The price depends on the stairs, the pair versus a single unit, and whether anything else is going along.
Disconnect it properly before anything moves
For the washer: shut off both hot and cold supply valves, unscrew the hoses into a bucket because there is always water left in them, disconnect the drain hose, and unplug it. For an electric dryer: unplug it and detach the vent duct. For a gas dryer: shut the gas supply valve at the wall, then disconnect the gas line and cap it, and if that sentence makes you uneasy, have a plumber or the gas utility do that part. A capped gas line is not optional and it is not a place to improvise.
Stacked units and the laundry closet problem
Stacked washer and dryer sets are bolted or bracketed together and have to be separated in place before either piece moves, because a stacked pair is top-heavy and will come down the stairs badly. Front-load units also have a shipping-bolt situation in reverse: the drum is on springs, so it swings while you carry it. Crews that do this daily strap the drum. That is why a stacked pair in a second-floor laundry closet is a two-person job every time.
What drives the cost of removal
Whether it is one unit or a pair, what floor it is on and how many turns are in the stairs, whether the dryer is gas and needs the line handled, and whether it is riding along with other items from the same house. A pair sitting in a garage is a different job from a stacked set in a third-floor closet. Get it quoted against your actual laundry room.
How to Get Rid of an Old Washer and Dryer FAQs
Will the City of Pittsburgh pick up a washer or dryer?
Yes. The City's Bulk Pick Up page lists stoves, washers, and dryers as bulk items. City single-family homes and buildings with five or fewer units can set out two bulk items a week with regular refuse pickup at no charge, between 6 PM the night before and 6 AM on collection day. Refrigerators and other Freon appliances are the exception: the City doesn't collect those. Outside the City, your borough or township sets its own rules.
Is an old washer and dryer worth anything as scrap?
Sometimes. Both are mostly steel, and regional scrap yards will often take them, with some paying by weight. The payout on a single appliance is modest and it only makes sense if you already have a truck and the muscle to get it up the stairs. Call the yard for current acceptance and rates before you plan around it.
Do I need a plumber to disconnect a washer?
Usually not. Shut both supply valves, unscrew the hoses into a bucket, pull the drain hose, and unplug it. A gas dryer is the different case: that gas line needs to be shut at the valve and capped properly, and if you are not confident doing that, call a plumber or the gas utility rather than guessing.
Can you take a washer and dryer out of a basement?
Yes, and most of the pairs we move are in basements. They come up on a stair-climbing dolly with floor protection down and the door jambs padded. Tell us when you call whether it is a pair or a single, whether the dryer is gas or electric, and how many turns are in the stairs.
Will you take a stacked washer dryer unit?
Yes. Stacked units get unbolted and separated in place before anything moves, because carrying a stacked pair down a staircase as one piece is how people and walls get damaged. It adds a few minutes on site and nothing to the difficulty for a crew that does it regularly.
Can you come the same day?
Usually yes. Same-day and next-day pickup runs seven days a week across Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and Butler County. Call (412) 226-4500 and you will get an arrival window and a quote on that call.
Related Pages
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Where we work
Sources
- City of Pittsburgh: Bulk Pick Up rules
- City of Pittsburgh waste disposal resources
- City of Pittsburgh waste and recycling fact sheet
Getting rid of an old washer and dryer in Pittsburgh, PA. Laundry appliances contain no refrigerant, so disposal is simpler than a refrigerator. Options: scrap metal recycling since both units are mostly steel, retailer haul-away arranged at purchase, an Allegheny County transfer station for a fee, or a removal crew. Shut both water supply valves and unplug the washer before moving it, and have a gas dryer's supply line shut at the valve and capped by a plumber or the gas utility if you are not confident. Stacked units must be separated in place before moving. Steel City Cleanouts removes washers and dryers from Pittsburgh basements with same-day service. Call (412) 226-4500 for a free quote.
Want the washer and dryer gone instead?
Same-day service across Pittsburgh, 7 days a week. Free quote before any work starts. Call or text and we will give you an arrival window.