The old refrigerator stopped cooling two weeks ago. It’s still sitting in the kitchen because moving a 300-pound appliance down a flight of stairs solo isn’t a realistic Saturday project. The washer-dryer set in the garage has been sitting since the new stackable went in. San Diego appliance removal is what Got Junk SD does daily — refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, ovens, ranges, and more, handled safely with the right equipment.

Appliances We Remove

Refrigerators and freezers (all sizes including side-by-side and commercial units), washers and dryers (top-load, front-load, stacked units), dishwashers, ranges and ovens (gas and electric), microwaves and over-the-range units, garbage disposals (uninstalled), water heaters (tankless and tank), HVAC window units, portable AC units, dehumidifiers, and wine coolers. We also remove commercial-grade appliances from restaurant and food service locations — reach-in coolers, undercounter units, commercial ranges.

Appliances containing refrigerants — refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers — require special handling under the EPA Section 608 regulations and California Air Resources Board rules. Our crew is trained for compliant refrigerant handling. The fee for refrigerant-containing units is built into our standard appliance removal price — no surcharge, no surprise line item.

We do not remove active propane or natural gas lines — gas appliances must be disconnected and capped by a licensed plumber or your utility company before we arrive. We handle the physical haul after disconnection. Water line disconnection for dishwashers and refrigerators with water dispensers is something we can handle on-site for straightforward shutoff-valve situations.

Stair and Tight-Space Appliance Removal

San Diego has a lot of older housing stock where appliances live in inconvenient places. A 1960s Clairemont house with a washer in the garage down a half-flight of exterior steps. A Del Cerro split-level where the kitchen is one floor above the street-level entry. A Pacific Beach condo with a narrow galley kitchen and a 36-inch fridge that barely fits the original doorway.

We carry appliance dollies, furniture straps, stair-walking equipment, and corner guards. Two-person crews handle refrigerators on stairs safely without damaging flooring, walls, or door frames. For extra-heavy commercial units (commercial glass-door reach-ins can weigh 500–800 pounds), we use specialty moving equipment. Describe the situation when you book and we’ll staff the right crew.

Apartment buildings in Downtown, Hillcrest, and Mission Hills often require elevator coordination and COI documentation before we can haul through common areas — same process as our commercial jobs. We handle the logistics.

Appliance Recycling in San Diego

Most appliances removed in San Diego are recycled rather than landfilled. SDG&E operates an appliance recycling program (Appliance Recycling Centers of America, or ARCA) that provides rebates for qualifying energy-inefficient units — primarily refrigerators and freezers. If your appliance qualifies, we can coordinate the ARCA pickup instead of our standard haul, which may put money back in your pocket rather than money out.

For appliances that don’t qualify for the SDG&E rebate program (older units, non-refrigerant appliances, commercial equipment), we route to certified e-waste and metal recyclers in San Diego County. Steel, copper wiring, and aluminum components from appliances have significant recycling value. We do not landfill working metal components that recyclers will accept.

New Appliance Delivery + Old Appliance Removal

Many homeowners in San Diego run into a gap: the new appliance retailer (Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Pacific Sales) will install the new unit but won’t always haul the old one, or charges a separate fee with restricted item conditions. We fill that gap — schedule us to arrive before or shortly after the new appliance delivery to clear the old unit before the new one comes in. Coordinating both in the same half-day window is common for kitchen appliance upgrades in Rancho Bernardo, Scripps Ranch, and Carmel Valley.

If you’re doing a full kitchen renovation and replacing multiple appliances at once, bundle them into a single Got Junk SD haul for a lower per-unit cost than individual item pickups. Homeowners prepping a San Diego property for resale through SD Home Hub often replace dated appliances before listing — old unit haul and new unit delivery coordination happens in the same week.

What Happens to Removed Appliances

Appliances removed in San Diego follow a clear recycling hierarchy. Working units in good condition may be donated to Habitat for Humanity ReStore or to nonprofits serving lower-income households — ReStore accepts working refrigerators, washers, and dryers in certain conditions. Non-working units go to metal recyclers — the steel, copper, and aluminum in a standard appliance have real scrap value. Refrigerant-containing units are handled by certified technicians first, then the metal shell goes to the recycler.

E-waste from appliances with circuit boards — over-the-range microwaves, smart appliances, control panels — routes to CA-certified e-waste processors. We track routing on commercial-volume jobs and can provide a disposal manifest for property management records. For homeowners, a verbal summary at the end of the job covers where everything went.

Book Appliance Removal

Tell us the appliance type, location in the home, and any access challenges when you book online. Same-day slots are available most days for central San Diego. Check our pricing page for appliance removal rates, and see furniture removal if you’re also clearing out other items the same day.

Cities We Serve

Appliance removal across San Diego County — Chula Vista, El Cajon, La Mesa, Escondido, National City, and Oceanside. Full map at Service Areas.