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Appliance removal in Orange County
Appliance removal is the job of getting a dead refrigerator, a rusted washer or a leaking water heater out of the house, through the doorways and off your property. Send us photos for a quote or call (657) 822-0016, and we carry it out and haul it away.
Old appliance removal: what we take out
Appliances usually sit in one of four spots:
- Kitchen: refrigerators, stoves and ranges, wall ovens, dishwashers, microwaves and trash compactors.
- Laundry: washers and dryers, stacked or side by side, gas or electric.
- Garage: the second fridge, a chest freezer, the water heater in its closet, an old dehumidifier.
- Windows and yards: window and portable AC units and worn-out evaporative coolers.
Part of a bigger garage cleanout or estate cleanout? Put it all in one set of photos for one quote.
Refrigerator removal and washer and dryer removal, step by step
- Show us the appliance. Photograph it, then photograph the way out: stairs, tight turns, a narrow side gate. Send the pictures through the quote form or to help@ocfastjunkremoval.com, or call (657) 822-0016 and tell us the make, the size and where it stands.
- Get a quote for that appliance and that route out.
- We carry it out from where it stands and haul it away.
How to get an appliance ready for pickup
- Empty and defrost. Take out the food, unplug it the day before and lay a towel down for the meltwater.
- Close the water. Shut the supply valves behind a washer, dishwasher or ice maker; turn off and drain a water heater.
- Leave gas lines to a plumber. A gas dryer, range or water heater needs its gas line disconnected and capped before pickup day.
- Clear the route. Move rugs and fragile things, and tell us about steps or a locked gate.
California's rules for discarded major appliances
A May 2024 compliance guide from San Bernardino County Fire defines a Certified Appliance Recycler as "a person or business certified by Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to remove and properly manage certain potentially hazardous materials" from discarded major appliances. Those materials include:
- Refrigerants: CFCs, HCFCs and the non-CFC replacement refrigerants in refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners.
- Mercury: the mercury in switches and temperature controls of major appliances.
- Capacitors: PCB, DEHP and other metal-encased capacitors.
Its definition of a major appliance reaches past the fridge to washing machines, clothes dryers, hot water heaters, dehumidifiers and ovens, and those materials must come out before the appliance is crushed, shredded or disposed of.
For household refrigerators, freezers and window air conditioners, the EPA adds special safe disposal requirements: "the final person in the disposal chain (such as a scrap metal recycler or landfill owner) is responsible for ensuring that refrigerant is recovered from equipment before its final disposal." Our refrigerator disposal guide follows an old fridge through each of the legal routes.
Sources: San Bernardino County Fire: Certified Appliance Recycler guide (rev. 05/2024); US EPA: Stationary refrigeration safe disposal requirements.
Appliance removal in Orange County cities: what bulky item pickup takes
Check your city's bulky item pickup first. Each city sets its own rules:
- Huntington Beach: weekly cart customers get free bulky item collection from Republic Services four times a year, up to 10 items, appliances included.
- Irvine: WM's 2025 guide gives residents four free collections a calendar year, up to four items each, appliances included.
- Tustin: dishwashers, stoves, washers, dryers and water heaters go as bulky items at no added cost to single-family homes; CR&R charges a nominal fee for refrigerators and other Freon appliances.
- Garden Grove: bulky pickup is free for single-family homes, but refrigerators and air conditioners carry a small recovery fee, and the free cleanup days refuse refrigerators, freezers and AC units.
- Santa Ana: curbside cart customers get four no-charge bulky pickups a year, up to four items each, appliances included, if two workers can handle each item. The quarterly drop-off day (January 2026 notice) refuses refrigerators, freezers and AC units.
- Aliso Viejo residents call CR&R at 877-728-0446 for curbside pickup of appliances, Freon units included.
Confirm your hauler's current limits and charges before setting anything out; the bulky item pickup guide covers more cities.
Sources: Huntington Beach Public Works: residential information; WM: City of Irvine 2025 residential guide; City of Tustin: Bulky items; City of Tustin: Electronic waste; City of Garden Grove: Collection schedule FAQs; City of Garden Grove: Cleanup days; City of Santa Ana: Quarterly bulky item drop-off day; City of Santa Ana: Illegal dumping and bulky item pickup; City of Aliso Viejo: Single-family waste and recycling services guide.
Taking an appliance to an OC landfill yourself
With a pickup and a helper, haul it yourself: the county FAQ says its landfills accept appliances at normal disposal fees. Only Olinda Alpha in Brea and Prima Deshecha in San Juan Capistrano are open for public disposal; Frank R. Bowerman in Irvine is commercial-only. Under the fee schedule in effect July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, a pickup truck or van load under 880 pounds is $30.00. Bring proof of an Orange County address.
The county's July 2025 flyer accepts appliances from individual residents but sends haulers and commercial businesses to a local metal salvaging facility.
A countertop microwave is different: the county's landfills do not accept electronics, and CalRecycle bans microwave ovens from the trash. The county's household hazardous waste centers take home-use microwaves from Orange County residents at no cost.
Sources: OC Waste & Recycling: FAQs; OC Waste & Recycling: Landfill fees; OC Waste & Recycling: Frank R. Bowerman Landfill; OC Waste & Recycling: Landfill; OC Waste & Recycling: What can I take to the landfill (July 2025); OC Waste & Recycling: HHW fact sheet (July 2026); CalRecycle: Wastes banned from the trash.
What no hauler can take along with the appliance
Clear the paint cans off the garage freezer before pickup. Paint, cleaners, motor oil, pesticides, non-industrial pool chemicals, propane tanks up to five gallons, batteries and fluorescent tubes are household hazardous waste. Orange County residents can drop them off free at the county's four collection centers in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Irvine and San Juan Capistrano. See the household hazardous waste guide.
Sources: OC Waste & Recycling: Household hazardous waste; OC Waste & Recycling: HHW locations and hours; OC Waste & Recycling: HHW fact sheet (July 2026).
Old appliances on Orange County curbs, and when a hauler makes sense
Republic Services' summer 2026 newsletter for Anaheim names old appliances among the items most often dumped along roadways, in parks and on vacant lots. In Santa Ana, leaving an appliance on the street, sidewalk or parkway is illegal unless a bulky item pickup is scheduled.
Use the city route when it fits. A hauler earns its keep when the appliance is upstairs or deep inside, when the city charges for it or refuses it, when a move-out sets the deadline, or when you have no truck and no helper. Then send us photos.
Sources: Republic Services: Anaheim residential newsletter, summer 2026; City of Santa Ana: Illegal dumping.
Questions people ask
How do I get rid of an old refrigerator in Orange County?
Try your city's bulky item pickup first; some cities add a charge for Freon appliances. You can also drive it to Olinda Alpha or Prima Deshecha. The refrigerator disposal guide lays out every route, or send us photos.
Can I put a washer and dryer out for bulky item pickup?
In several cities, yes: Huntington Beach, Irvine, Tustin and Santa Ana list appliances or washers and dryers as bulky items. Book with your city's hauler, and never set them out before you have a date.
Do I need to remove the Freon before an appliance is hauled away?
No, and do not try. Certified appliance recyclers and the last stop in the disposal chain handle the refrigerant, so leave the sealed lines alone.
Do you remove water heaters and gas appliances?
Yes, water heaters, gas dryers and gas ranges are part of appliance removal. Have the gas line capped and the water heater drained first.
What does old appliance removal cost?
There is no price list on this site: each job is quoted from what you show or tell us. Send photos for a quote; the junk removal cost guide explains what moves the number.
Related
Refrigerator disposal
Why an old fridge can't just go to the curb, and where it can go
Bulky item pickup in Orange County
How city bulky item pickup works in OC's largest cities
Garage cleanouts
Years of boxes, broken equipment and clutter cleared so the car fits again
Estate cleanouts
A whole home cleared after a move, a sale or a loss, at the family's pace
Household hazardous waste in Orange County
Paint, batteries, chemicals: where they go and what no hauler takes
Construction debris removal
Drywall, cabinets, lumber and remodel debris cleared from the job
Get a quote for your junk removal
Send a few photos through the form or call (657) 822-0016, and tell us the city and where the items are.