How to get rid of old appliances in Cincinnati

The short answer

Inside the City of Cincinnati, the appointment-only bulk program takes refrigerators, freezers, stoves, washers, dryers and water heaters from the curb. In Newport and Rumpke areas, anything with Freon needs a certified technician's sticker first. If the appliance is in a basement or you need it gone soon, JunkRabbit prices it flat: dryer $128, washer $133, electric range $134, tank water heater $131, standard fridge $164.

What the City of Cincinnati takes

The City's bulk collection list includes the big household appliances: refrigerators and freezers, stoves, washers and dryers and water heaters. Book an appointment online or through 311. Each appointment covers up to five items, set at the curb no earlier than the night before, where the claw truck can reach them. So the City will take a washer, a dryer and a water heater on one appointment and still leave room for two more items. What it does not take matters too: gas-powered tools, lawnmowers, propane, batteries and chemicals are all excluded. If you are replacing a gas stove, disconnect the gas line properly, or have someone qualified do it, before the stove moves an inch. And make sure the appliance is lying where the claw can grab it, not tucked behind a car on a crowded street.

Northern Kentucky and Rumpke areas

In Newport, Rumpke handles bulky items when you call at least 24 hours before trash day. Appliances with Freon, like refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers and air conditioners, need the refrigerant removed by a certified technician and a sticker attached before they can go out. Rumpke's residential bulk rules require a certified refrigerant statement on Freon appliances more generally. Washers, dryers and electric stoves do not contain refrigerant, so they are simpler. Other Northern Kentucky cities, including Covington, Bellevue and Florence, have their own arrangements that we have not confirmed, so check before you set anything out. In Lawrenceburg, Indiana, Freon items must be tagged, and the City Garage picks up large items free on Mondays and Fridays by call.

The basement laundry problem

Most older Cincinnati homes keep the washer and dryer in the basement. That is true of a lot of the early-1900s housing in Price Hill and Westwood, the older stock in Northside and Norwood, and many Covington and Newport houses across the river. Getting a washer up those stairs is the hardest part of disposing of it. A top-load washer has a heavy drum and a concrete counterweight in some models. Basement stairs here are often steep and narrow, with a turn at the top or a low ceiling. A hand truck helps on straight stairs but not on turns. Water heaters are similar: they are tall, heavy and often sitting in a corner with pipes around them. Those are the jobs where carry-out is worth paying for.

Prep before any appliance leaves

Shut off and disconnect water to the washer and drain the hoses into a bucket. Unplug the dryer and disconnect the vent duct. For a gas dryer or gas stove, shut off the gas at the valve and cap the line, or have a plumber do it. For a water heater, turn off the power or gas, shut the cold water supply and drain the tank completely before moving it; a full tank is impossible to carry. Empty the fridge, unplug it a day early and let it defrost. Take photos of each appliance where it sits. With those steps done, any route is faster: the City appointment, your hauler's bulk call or a pickup.

Flat prices for appliance pickups

Carry-out from any floor is included, and there is no stairs fee. A full kitchen of a standard fridge, an electric range and a dishwasher is $164 + $134 + $109 = $407. A basement washer, dryer and water heater come to $133 + $128 + $131 = $392.

Other routes worth knowing

Retailers delivering a new appliance often offer haul-away of the old one; ask what it costs and what condition the old unit must be in. Some will only take the same type of appliance they are delivering. Working appliances sell or give away well, especially to landlords and to people setting up apartments near UC and NKU. Scrap buyers may take metal appliances, though rules on refrigerant apply to fridges and freezers. Rumpke Sanitary Landfill in Colerain Township accepts appliances, but it does not publish hours or fees, so call before driving one out. At JunkRabbit we recycle whatever we can, and appliances are mostly metal.

Choosing your route

If the appliance is on the ground floor inside City limits, you have help, and you can wait for an appointment, the City's bulk pickup is the obvious free answer. If you are in a Rumpke area and the appliance has Freon, weigh the cost and hassle of a technician visit against a pickup that handles it. If the appliance is in a basement, a second floor or a tight laundry closet, or if you are clearing a whole kitchen during a remodel, a carry-out is usually the better trade. Book online with a photo for an instant price. Same-day pickup is available when you book by 4 PM, and crews work seven days a week, 8am to midnight.

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