How to get rid of old appliances in Virginia Beach

The short answer

Virginia Beach residents can put many appliances out for bulky pickup after a request three days ahead, or drive them free to the Resource Recovery Center on Jake Sears Road with proof of residency. Fridges and freezers have extra rules. For a flat pickup carried out from the laundry room or kitchen, a washer is $133, a dryer $128, a washer and dryer together $133 + $128 = $261, and a tank water heater $131.

Where appliances come from in Hampton Roads

Appliance jobs here follow the region's housing. In Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, the 1970s to 1990s suburbs of Kempsville, Lynnhaven and Great Bridge are full of original or second-generation washers, dryers and water heaters in garages. When those homes sell or get remodeled, the appliances go.

In Norfolk and Portsmouth, older houses mean appliances in tight spots: a washer in a narrow back porch, a water heater in a closet under the stairs, a range in a small galley kitchen.

Then there's the Navy. PCS moves don't usually include rental-house appliances, but they often include the garage chest freezer, the second fridge and the dehumidifier that the next set of orders won't need.

And there's flooding. When a storm pushes water into a garage in a low-lying neighborhood, washers, dryers and water heaters are often the first things ruined.

Virginia Beach: bulky pickup and the Resource Recovery Center

Bulky pickup. Request online, by phone or by email at least three days before your trash day. Set items out after 5 p.m. the night before and by 7 a.m., three feet from obstructions and not under power lines. For refrigerators and freezers, remove the doors and shelves and note the refrigerant status. Sinks and toilets aren't eligible, so if the laundry tub is coming out too, it needs another route.

Resource Recovery Center. The center at 1989 Jake Sears Road accepts metals and appliances free from residents with proof of residency. It's open Tuesday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you have a truck, this is the cleanest free route for a washer, dryer or range.

Both routes need you to disconnect the appliance and move it. That's the part that takes time and two strong backs.

Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Currituck

• Norfolk: bulk requests until 3 p.m. the day before, through MyNorfolk or by phone. Ask about appliance handling when you request.
• Chesapeake: one pile of up to 4 by 4 by 10 feet per week, twelve times a year. A washer and dryer fit, but check appliance and refrigerant rules first.
• Newport News: white goods are by appointment, typically on Wednesdays and limited to the first 28 callers.
• Currituck County, NC: the Moyock and Knotts Island convenience centers accept washers and stoves for permitted residents. Freon items must go to the County Transfer Station.

SPSA's transfer stations require certification stickers on appliances, except at the Regional Landfill in Suffolk. If you self-haul from outside Virginia Beach, ask before you go.

Disconnecting safely

Washers: shut off both water valves, disconnect the hoses into a bucket, and unplug. Drain the drum and hoses. Front-loaders can hold a surprising amount of water.

Dryers: unplug and disconnect the vent. For a gas dryer, shut the gas valve and cap the line. If you're not comfortable with gas, get a plumber.

Ranges: electric ranges unplug from a heavy outlet behind them. Gas ranges need the gas shut off and capped, the same as a dryer.

Water heaters: shut off the power or gas, close the cold supply, and drain the tank through the valve. A full tank weighs far more than an empty one. Disconnecting plumbing is the homeowner's or plumber's job, not the hauler's.

Dishwashers: shut the water and power, then pull it out of its cabinet slot.

Flat appliance prices

A kitchen swap in a Lynnhaven ranch: fridge, electric range, dishwasher and microwave. $164 + $134 + $109 + $30 = $437. A garage after a storm: washer, dryer and water heater. $133 + $128 + $131 = $392.

When paying makes sense

Pay when the appliance is hard to move. A washer on a second-floor laundry in a Red Mill house, a range in a third-floor Ghent apartment, or a water heater in a crawl-height closet are all jobs where a crew earns its price. There's no stairs fee.

Pay when you're on a timeline. New appliances often arrive with delivery crews that won't take the old one, or that only take it from the same room. A same-day pickup booked by 4 p.m. clears it before the weekend.

Pay when you have several. Doing a kitchen at once means one visit, with each item at its listed price.

Save the money when the appliance is in the garage, you're a Virginia Beach resident, and you have a truck. The Resource Recovery Center is free and well run. Use it.

Frequently asked questions