What appliance removal covers in a Los Angeles house
A refrigerator pulled a few inches from the kitchen wall, a washer and dryer standing in the laundry room after the new pair arrived, or a water heater sitting on the garage floor: appliance removal is the pickup for each one, once it is standing free. What each piece is, where it sits, and the path to the driveway set the work.
Refrigerators and freezers
An upright refrigerator or freezer stands tall and deep against the kitchen wall, while a chest freezer in the garage sits wide and low on the floor. Refrigerators has more on where a replaced one goes.
Washers and dryers
A stacked washer-dryer unit comes out as two pieces, with the weight sitting on the drum of a top-load washer. Washers and dryers covers the pair in more detail.
Dishwashers, ranges and microwaves
A dishwasher is a box under the counter until it is standing free. A range is a stove with an oven below, and a built-in wall oven is a separate piece that comes out of the wall as a unit. A microwave is light compared with the rest, though an over-the-range microwave was mounted above the stove and leaves with its bracket still attached.
Air conditioners and water heaters
An air conditioner and a water heater are both large metal items. A window air conditioner is a box; a portable one is a floor piece. A water heater is a tall cylinder. Both the air conditioner and the water heater are on the City's metal appliance pickup list.1
| Appliance | What decides the work | What to tell us when you phone |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Width at the doorway, cubic feet, the path through the kitchen | Size and age, and the way to the driveway |
| Chest or upright freezer | Width, weight | Width at the garage door |
| Top-load washer | Weight on the drum, width at the doorway | Where it sits and whether it is standing free |
| Front-load or stacked washer and dryer | Two pieces, the path through the laundry room | Whether the pair is apart |
| Dishwasher | Mounting under the counter, width through the opening | Whether it is standing free |
| Range or wall oven | Width at the doorway, built-in versus freestanding | Whether it is standing free |
| Water heater or air conditioner | Tall or wide shape, metal weight | Where it sits |
When appliance removal fits, and when another route fits better
When this page fits
- A replaced refrigerator, washer, dryer or dishwasher is standing free in a kitchen or in a garage.
- A range or a wall oven has been pulled out and has to leave the house.
- An old water heater or air conditioner is on the floor of a garage and the garage is the next job.
- A full set of kitchen appliances is being changed out at once, with furniture coming out on the same call.
When another route fits better
- LA Sanitation picks up large metal and household appliances at no extra cost1 for residents with curbside service, and its list runs through refrigerators and freezers, washers and dryers, dishwashers, air conditioners, water heaters and standard heaters. The City also calls its broader bulky item pickup unlimited curbside service at no additional charge2 for the single-family residents it serves. The City's metal appliance pickup covers the service in full, and the City's pickup covers how to schedule.
- The appliance is still working and someone else may want it. LA Sanitation encourages residents to consider donating,2 suggesting a local thrift store, a charity or a community exchange app for appliances still in good shape. Ask the center first about what it takes.
What the City's appliance pickup lists
LA Sanitation picks up large metal and household appliances at no extra cost for residents with curbside service.
On the City's list
- Refrigerators and freezers
- Washers and dryers
- Dishwashers
- Air conditioners
- Water heaters and standard heaters
Other notes from the City
- For an item that is not listed but is mostly metal, the City tells residents to call about it
Sources: LA Sanitation & Environment, Metal Appliance Pickup; LA Sanitation & Environment, Schedule a Bulky Item Pickup.
What to have ready when you phone
- Each appliance by name: a refrigerator, a washer, a dryer, a dishwasher, a range, a wall oven, a microwave, a water heater, an air conditioner.
- Where each piece sits: a kitchen, a garage, a utility closet, a laundry room.
- Whether a piece is standing free or still in place.
- Steps between the piece and the driveway, and the turn at any landing.
- The number of pieces going on the same call.
Appliances and the City in Los Angeles
Large metal and household appliances are on LA Sanitation's own pickup list1 for residents with curbside service, at no extra cost, and the list runs through refrigerators and freezers, washers and dryers, dishwashers, air conditioners, water heaters and standard heaters. For an item that is not on the list but is mostly metal, the City tells residents to phone. LA Sanitation asks residents to remove the doors from a refrigerator or freezer before placing it at the curb1 so children cannot get trapped inside, and asks residents to mention every item when scheduling, since drivers can only pick up what is on their daily work order.
LA Sanitation's bulky item pickup page also asks for an itemized list2 at scheduling, so the City can send a right-sized truck; the same plain list opens any first call on this site's services pages.