What to do with Old Working Appliances

[Deleted]

The appliances in our Bay Area house are old. The washer (no dryer) and the refrigerator were purchased in 1990. Our tenants preferred their own washer so ours wasn't used for 9 years and sat in the garage during that time. After being encouraged to try it by the appliance salesman at Lowes, I went ahead and hooked up the washer and amazingly it still worked (although I had to learn about the waste hose the hard way ). And our refrigerator still runs but the gasket needs to be replaced which I think we can do ourselves for about $100.

We've gone ahead and ordered a new washer and dryer and will replace the fridge in the near future as part of our kitchen renovation. DH and I are having a slight disagreement about what to do with the old stuff. He wants them taken away as part of the "free" delivery and haul away with the new appliances. I'm thinking we should keep them as back ups.

WWYD?

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

In Oregon, part of the state's energy division has a program in which they pay $50 for working refrigerators and freezers. AND they come and pick them up. Sears is the one who told us about it. It was much better than paying $50 to Sears to take away the freezer that still worked but the door wouldn't stay closed.

Good luck, and I hope you get your house back to the way you want it so very soon!
:)Chloe

[zibazinski]

Habitats Re-store? Shameless plug!

[Waffle]

I'd let them be hauled away, unless I knew someone who needed them that I could give them to. I've got way too much clutter as is, I certainly don't need to start keeping extra appliances.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I just had them haul away my old washer when I bought a new one last fall. It worked, but it leaked and the bearings were going. IMO, it was not worth the hassle of storing an appliance that had the potential of either flooding out my neighbor or totally failing (inevitably, when I would need it most).

I'd ditch them. You're going to have to pay (in either space or cost) to store old appliances which you will likely never use. If you have that much space that you'd want to store them, then go ahead. If they work, then perhaps you can freecycle them such that someone who needs 'em would get working appliances.

[Deleted]

What I did when we replaced a "working" refrigerator was to post on CL's that it was free, but there was a very narrow window to pick it up. They basically had from a couple of hours before Lowe's was supposed to arrive. If they missed that, it was gone on Lowe's truck.

I had tons of people respond. I had people offering me money not to give it away but to sell it to them for $25, $50, $75. I went with my initial post and gave it away to an unemployed guy with a family. Their fridge worked but not the freezer.

It was win/win. If he picked up, I got the good feeling of donating to someone who really wanted it. If he hadn't, I would be able to take the easy way out and let Lowe's haul it off for me.

[milee]

Aug 8, 2012 11:12:03 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

If I had a big dead refrigerator, I'd bury it in the ground, lid side up and use it to store my root veggies for the Winter.
YEE, HAW!!!

You probably already know this and were just joking, but if you do this please, please, please be careful. Kids can easily get shut and suffocate in old refrigerators that are upright, the seals on the door are too hard for them to push open. This would be much, much more difficult if the door were to be on top of them such as in the scenario you're describing. If you do something like this, please lock the door so your grandkids or neighborhood kids don't accidentally get trapped in there. Sorry to be a downer.

[lurkyloo]

I listed our dishwasher on Craigslist for $25 (it was loud and getting louder, we'd hauled home and installed the replacement ourselves). Appliance & extra trash pickup day happened to fall the following week so when no one responded I just had them take it. Of course, someone emailed the following week inquiring about it because I'd forgotten to take the ad down.

We also have a local /recycling center that accepts old appliances--that's where the old stove went. Next victim: the fridge!

[Opti]

At most I would keep the refrigerator and only if there was space to plug it in and use it now like the basement or garage. I definitely wouldn't store the washer. Just big clutter which may cost you money in the future when you want to get rid of it.

As some suggested craigslist is good if you want to try selling it or you can use the free section to give it away. Also freecycle and local food pantries might know of people who could use it.

[Deleted]

Thanks for your input guys.

It sounds like the easiest and cheapest option is to have the old appliances hauled away at the time the new appliances are delivered. If we were in So. Cal and closer to a couple of the rentals, it might be worth it to store them as emergency back ups but I don't think trying to rent a U-Haul for a 500 mile delivery makes any sense. I'm probably better off crediting my tenants some money if replacement of an appliance takes longer than a few days.

FWIW, we did rent a U-Haul to take our old appliances from our AZ house to our San Diego house. But they weren't that old and since the prior owner of the AZ house was a snow bird, they weren't used that much.

[Tiny]

You don't need to keep them as back ups - I'm assuming you've got a Coin laundry/laundra-mat somewhere near by and while it might be inconvenient/pricey you could use that one time (maybe 2 times) while you wait for your new washer to be delivered. You don't need a back up dryer - you just hang dry your stuff. In the time it would take you to remove the dead washer and hook up your replacement you probably could have shelped down the coin laundry, searched on line for a new machine, ordered the new machine, finished up your laundry and headed home.

The fridge thing is kinda the same. I wouldn't bother with a 'backup fridge' on the odd occurrance that my main fridge would just suddenly DIE. I might be at work when the fridge dies which would mean I might loose all the stuff in it anyway (I'm away from home 10 -12 hours a day) a back up isn't gonna help me in that situation. If I'm home when it Dies - I'd run out for ice and use the couple 'coolers' I have to save what I could - and maybe beg some space in friends/relatives freezers. I'd spend my time ordering a new fridge.

Just giving some reasons why having 'back ups' of those two appliances doesn't really give alot of bang for the pain of keeping the back ups around.

As for what to do with the old appliances: I'd offer the appliance to family, if no one wanted it I'd attempt to get some cash for the appliances in working order - I'd see if the electric/gas/utilities had a program to take old appliances, then craigs list, finally I'd let the company that brought my new appliance haul away the old appliance.

[Gardening Grandma]

Easiest is to have it taken when the new one is delivered. Sometimes they charge for that.
Cheapest is Freecycle and/or the free section if CL as long as the appliance is working.

[Nazgul Girl]

I would buy a cheap rental somewhere and put the old appliances in it.

[resolution]

Our house came with several ancient, broken washers and dryers that were left in the basement. We got about $100 for them from the local recycling place, although we had to load them on our truck and drive them to the place.

[tskeeter]

Want to get rid of old appliances and don't know how? Call a used appliance dealer and see if they will haul it away for free. When I worked for a retailer who sold appliances, I learned that was how they did their "free pickup". The used appliance dealer may be able to sell your old appliances to someone who can't afford to spend much, or they may part out your appliance to repair a unit that is in better general shape.

[Deleted]

We have 2 refrigerators. One in the basement and i prefer that over a freezer only. It is great for keeping soda, extra jugs of milk and the additional freezer room. i would probably just give away the old washer and dryer if you know someone who needs it or a landlord or something or have i hauled away.

[bean29]

I was thinking Habitat Restore too.

I might keep a second refrigerator but only if I was going to use it. They have started to charge for recycling old TV's and computers. I am all for getting rid of the stuff as soon as it is no longer useful - disposal fees are only going to go up.

I am not sure you want to list something on say CL for free and then deal with waiting for someone who does not bother to show up. If you donate it you get to write it off, that is an added benefit imo.

[happyhoix]

Don't keep the refrigerator, those things are energy hogs.

My mom had one of those giant stand up freezers from 1971 and kept at most two cartons of icecream in it. Could easily have kept all her freezer stuff in her regular refrigerator/freezer. No telling how much extra wattage that old mastodon sucked up.

MIL has an even older fridge (we think it's about 1960's) in her carport, keeping some sodas cold. There again, I bet she would cut her electric bill by an appreciable amount if she shut it down (it's just her living there now, why the hell does she need two refrigerators??) but she's always had it and won't consider shutting it down.

The newer fridges are much more energy effecient, and IMHO unless you hunt or have a big garden you shouldn't need two. If you unplug a fridge and let it sit there a while unused, they usually develop odors that won't go away. So I suggest donating it.

[kittensaver]

Freecycle or Habitat Restore :-)