Strap them like they can walk
A washer, a dryer, a range, or a refrigerator will shift on a wooden floor the first time you brake. Stand them so the heavy side is stable, put a pad or a cardboard sheet under the feet, and strap them to the truck's own tie-downs. Do not screw a cleat into the wall to make a stop. Do not drill the floor. Leave a path so the appliance at the door is the one you want off first. Call the site and ask where appliances go, whether doors must be taped or removed, and whether a rental truck is allowed to bring them. Dumpmapper can show candidate sites. A pin is not permission, and appliance rules change by facility.
Refrigerant stays in the sealed system
Refrigerators, freezers, and window air conditioners are not ordinary scrap until a certified technician has recovered the refrigerant. You do not cut the lines, vent them, or crack a valve to make the unit easier to lift. Venting refrigerant is not a loading tip. Empty the food at home so the box does not stink, and keep the refrigerator upright. Ask the site what proof of recovery they want to see, and follow that. If they want the unit to go to a specific program, take it there instead of hiding it under bags on the trash floor. A certified recovery is a technician's job. It is not a driveway project with a hacksaw.
Doors, dollies, and the floor
Tape appliance doors so they do not swing into the truck wall. Take loose racks out and bag them if the site wants the unit empty. An appliance dolly you rented has to go back to the rental company, not over the rail. Put dollies and pads in the cab before you sweep so they do not ride to the landfill under a bag. Slide heavy units on a board you remove, or on blankets, instead of dragging a foot across the plywood. A gouge is damage, not dirt. Sweep grit at the disposal site. If oil or an unknown liquid leaked from a compressor area, do not hose it into the lot. Absorb it, bag it as the hazardous-waste program directs, and tell the counter.
Before you go
- Ask the site where appliances go and whether the rental truck is allowed.
- Strap units to the truck's tie-downs and keep refrigerators upright.
- Have a certified technician recover refrigerant. Do not cut or vent lines.
- Return dollies and pads, and report a leak instead of washing it away.
Cutting a refrigerant line so a refrigerator is lighter in the rental.
Questions people ask
Can I lay a refrigerator on its side to fit?
Keep it upright. Laying it down is a bad way to make floor space, and it does not change the refrigerant rule. If it will not fit upright in the truck you rented, use a different vehicle the site accepts. Do not cut lines to reshape the trip.
What about a window unit still in the wall?
Leave it for a certified technician to recover the refrigerant before it is hauled as scrap. Do not cut the lines in the window opening. Ask the site what they need to see when you bring a cooling appliance. A map listing is not that instruction.
Search Dumpmapper by ZIP code or city, then call the site before you load the truck. Hours and accepted materials change.