How to get rid of a refrigerator in Indianapolis

The short answer

Minimum visit $75, which every one of these clears. A kitchen fridge plus the garage unit is $164 + $115 = $279.

Why almost every Indianapolis house has two

The second refrigerator is close to standard equipment in this metro. In the older neighborhoods it is a basement unit; in the ranches and split-levels out through Southport, Wanamaker, New Palestine and Mooresville it is in the garage; in the newer builds around Whitestown, Danville and McCordsville it is in the third bay or the walkout.

The reason is partly space and partly habit. Households here buy in bulk, put up garden produce and freezer meals, and there is a long regional tradition of a deep freeze in the basement. So when the kitchen fridge is replaced, the old one does not leave — it gets promoted to the garage, where it runs for another eight years on a circuit nobody thinks about.

That is the unit that dies. And it dies in January, in an unheated building, and nobody finds out until spring.

Before anyone arrives

• Empty it completely, including the door shelves and the ice maker bin. A full fridge is significantly heavier and anything loose becomes a mess on a staircase.
• Unplug it and prop the door open for a day, if the timing allows. A sealed unit that has been off for weeks in an Indiana summer is a genuinely difficult object to be near.
• Turn off and disconnect the water line if it has an ice maker or a door dispenser. There is a small shut-off valve behind the unit or under the sink. Fridges with water lines leave a puddle otherwise.
• Remove the doors only if a doorway requires it, and keep the hinges. A french door unit is often wider than a 1920s kitchen doorway with the doors on.

No disconnection of gas or hardwired power is involved with a refrigerator — it plugs into a standard outlet.

Refrigerant, and why the curb is not an option

Every refrigerator and freezer contains refrigerant, and federal rules require a certified handler to recover it before the metal can be recycled. Older units also have insulating foam that has to be dealt with correctly.

What that means for you: bulk set-out almost always excludes refrigerators regardless of which hauler serves your address, and a scrap yard may turn you away or discount the unit if it has not been evacuated. It is also why a fridge costs more to remove than a dresser of the same weight — there is a process attached to it.

With a flat-price pickup the recovery and the recycling run are inside the number. A standard refrigerator is $164. There is no refrigerant fee, no environmental fee and no separate disposal charge added after.

Getting it out of the house

Three Indianapolis situations that come up constantly.

The basement fridge. Deep basements and steep stairs across the older housing stock. A full-size unit comes up on straps, strapped to a dolly, with one person below it the whole way. Not a solo job, and not one to attempt on carpeted treads in socks.

The 1920s kitchen doorway. Older kitchens in Irvington, Fountain Square and the near northside have narrower doorways than a modern french door unit is designed for. Doors come off the fridge, sometimes the fridge goes out a back door instead of the front, and occasionally a storm door gets lifted off its hinges. Included, all of it.

The garage unit on the alley. The easiest version. If the detached garage sits on a rear alley, the truck backs to the door and it is a ten-minute stop.

None of these change the price. There is no stair fee and no long-carry fee.

Power outages and the spoiled unit

Central Indiana gets ice storms in winter and severe thunderstorm lines in spring and summer, and both take power out for stretches. A chest freezer in a basement or garage that loses power for three days in July, with nobody home, is the worst version of this job.

If that has happened to you: do not open it repeatedly, tape it shut, and get it removed rather than attempting to salvage it. A chest freezer is $146 and an upright is $149. The alternative is a cleaning project that takes an afternoon and does not fully succeed.

If the unit is otherwise fine and you are only dealing with spoiled contents, bag those for your regular collection and keep the appliance.

Selling, donating or scrapping instead

Selling works for units under about ten years old that still run well. There is a real market here for a working second fridge, especially in spring. Be honest about age and condition; be ready for the buyer to want it in the driveway rather than in your basement.

Donating is possible but narrow. Charities that accept appliances generally require the unit to be in working order, reasonably recent and clean, and many do not take refrigerators at all. Call before you plan around it.

Scrapping is legitimate if you have a truck, a ramp and a second person, and the yard accepts a unit with refrigerant still in it. Call ahead — policies differ from yard to yard and the answer determines whether the trip is worth making.

Retailer haul-away only works on delivery day, and usually only if you selected it at purchase. Once the new fridge is in and the old one is in the garage, that door has closed.

Typical jobs, added up

• Kitchen replacement in a Pike Township ranch: standard refrigerator $164 + countertop microwave $30 = $194.
• Kitchen and garage at once in Greenfield: side-by-side refrigerator $183 + mini fridge $115 = $298.
• Basement clear-out in Broad Ripple: chest freezer $146 + dehumidifier $77 = $223.
• Full kitchen in Traders Point: french door refrigerator $183 + electric range $134 + dishwasher $109 = $426.

Frequently asked questions