Fridges, washers, dryers, ovens — where they can go, why fridges are special, and what pickup really costs.
A dead refrigerator is 250–350 pounds of awkward, and unlike most junk, you cannot legally just dump it. Refrigerators, freezers, and window AC units contain refrigerant that federal law requires to be recovered by certified technicians before the unit is scrapped — which is why appliance disposal has its own little ecosystem of rules, fees, and options that a busted dresser never deals with. Here is how DFW residents actually get rid of appliances, and what each route involves.
When a new appliance is delivered, most major retailers will cart off the old one for a small fee (occasionally free during promotions). If your fridge died and a replacement is already ordered, this is the path of least resistance — just confirm haul-away is on the order before delivery day, and have the old unit empty and unplugged (fridges should be defrosted) when the truck arrives.
Electric providers in Texas periodically run appliance recycling programs that pick up old working refrigerators — the logic being that a beer fridge in a hot garage is an energy hog they would love off the grid. Programs come and go and usually require the unit to still run, so check whether your current provider offers one. When available, it can be free pickup and sometimes a small rebate.
Washers, dryers, and ovens have real scrap value, and independent scrappers will often collect them free from your curb — some neighborhoods barely need an ad, the trucks just appear. The caveats: you generally need to get the appliance outside yourself, response is unpredictable, and refrigerators are less popular with scrappers because of the refrigerant-recovery requirement. A fridge left at the curb "for scrap" can sit there a while, and your city's code officer may notice before a scrapper does.
Most DFW cities accept appliances in their bulk collection programs, though several handle "white goods" as a separate category with extra rules — doors removed for safety (a legal requirement for discarded fridges in many places, and just the right thing to do), refrigerant units sometimes requiring a special appointment. Same trade-off as always with city pickup: free, but on their schedule, and you supply the muscle to the curb.
A working washer or fridge is genuinely valuable to charities that furnish homes for families — some will even schedule a pickup. The unit has to actually work and be reasonably clean; "it mostly runs" does not help a family in need. If your appliance still does its job and you simply upgraded, donation is the best outcome on this page.
A junk removal crew takes the appliance from wherever it lives — kitchen, garage, upstairs laundry closet — handles the disconnection of standard hookups, and routes it properly: certified refrigerant recovery for cold units, metal recycling for the rest, donation when a unit still works. A single appliance typically lands in our minimum-load range of $100–$150, and stacking multiple appliances or adding other junk to the same trip is where the pricing gets efficient. No lifting, no scheduling around a city calendar, gone today.
Abandoning a fridge with the doors on. Discarded refrigerators with intact latches are a child-entrapment hazard, which is why removing doors is legally required in many jurisdictions. If a unit will sit anywhere accessible even briefly, take the doors off.
Paying a "disposal fee" and then finding the appliance dumped. Cut-rate haulers sometimes pocket the fee and leave appliances in creek beds — and dumped items have been traced back to the original owner. Use companies with a name, reviews, and something to lose. (We have both, and 109 Google reviews of receipts.)
Wrestling a 300-pound fridge solo. Appliance injuries are the classic DIY disposal story: crushed fingers, wrenched backs, gouged floors, and a fridge wedged diagonally in a stairwell. Two trained people with a dolly and straps make it look easy because equipment and technique are the whole job.
Replacing the appliance? Let the retailer take it. Still works? Donate it or watch for a utility program. Dead washer you can get to the curb? Bulk pickup or a scrapper will handle it eventually. Dead refrigerator, an upstairs unit, or a "today please" timeline? Text a photo to (214) 402-5501 and we will quote it in minutes — and yes, we do the heavy part.