Furniture is usually forgiving.
A table gets bumped. A chair gets tilted the wrong way. Nobody likes it, but the thing generally survives.
Appliances? Less cooperative.
A refrigerator has a compressor. A washing machine can hide water inside itself. A dishwasher is connected to plumbing you probably haven’t looked at since the kitchen was installed. A dryer might involve gas. A stove might involve even more of it.
And all of these things are heavy.
So when you’re moving home appliances, the actual transportation is only half the story. A lot of the trouble starts before the movers even touch the appliance. Water wasn’t drained. A connection wasn’t disconnected. A refrigerator was laid on its side because it “looked fine.” It usually looked fine right up until it didn’t.
The good news is that most of these problems are boringly preventable.
The best appliance to move is a prepared appliance.
Not exciting. Not clever. Prepared.
Start with anything connected to water. A washing machine should be disconnected from its water supply before moving day. Drain the hoses and remove as much remaining water as possible. Some water can remain inside the machine itself, so give it time to drain properly and dry out.
If the manufacturer provides shipping or transit bolts, use them according to the instructions. Those little pieces of hardware are there to keep the drum from swinging around during transportation.
The refrigerator deserves its own timetable. Empty it. Unplug it. Defrost it if there is ice buildup, preferably around 24 hours ahead rather than five minutes before the truck arrives. Dry the interior and remove or secure loose shelves and drawers. The freezer especially should be dry.
Water has a remarkable talent for appearing underneath things.
Secure the refrigerator doors. They don’t need to fly open while somebody is carrying the appliance through a doorway. And if the refrigerator has a water dispenser or ice maker, the water connection needs to be shut off and disconnected properly.
This is all the dirty work that makes the actual moving part much easier.
Here’s where people sometimes use the word “moving” to mean approximately seven different jobs.
A moving crew can handle the physical appliance. That’s the straightforward part.
RELOQ Moving Services can protect and carry large household items, load them into the truck, transport them, and unload them at the destination.
But the fact that a mover can carry a refrigerator does not mean the mover should start disconnecting every pipe, wire, and gas fitting attached to it.
Different job.
If a washing machine is already disconnected and ready, the crew can move it. If an electric dryer is unplugged and ready, same idea. Though if an appliance is hard-wired into the building, connected to a gas line, or tied into complicated plumbing, you may need a qualified electrician or plumber.
Don’t turn the moving day into an accidental home-improvement experiment.
This is also why the question “Do movers disconnect appliances?” doesn’t have a universal yes-or-no answer. It depends on the appliance, the connection, the moving company’s service, and whether specialist work is required.
The same goes for “Do movers hook up appliances at the new place?”
A crew may position the appliance where it belongs. Reconnecting a gas line or hard-wired electrical appliance is another matter. Ask beforehand.
Not while the truck is idling.
Keep the fridge upright whenever you reasonably can. That is the simple version.
The less simple version involves the compressor and oil inside the refrigeration system, which is why transporting a refrigerator on its side isn’t something to do casually.
So, can you move a refrigerator lying down? Sometimes, yes. But if you have another option, upright is generally preferable. If the refrigerator has to travel on its side, check the manufacturer’s instructions for the correct position and for how long it should remain upright before you turn it on again.
Different models can have different requirements. The internet’s favorite universal answer is not a substitute for the manual sitting inside your kitchen drawer.
For washing machines the two big concerns are water and movement. Drain the machine. Disconnect the hoses. Secure the hoses and power cord. Then check whether your model requires transport bolts.
A washing machine drum isn’t supposed to bounce freely during a road trip.
An electric dryer is usually fairly simple once disconnected. A gas dryer isn’t. The gas connection should be handled by a qualified professional before the machine is moved. The vent also needs to be disconnected properly.
It sounds obvious until you’re standing behind the dryer wondering why it refuses to move another inch.
Dishwashers are deceptive because much of the important stuff is underneath or behind them. Water line, drain connection, electrical supply. If the dishwasher is built into cabinetry, don’t assume pulling harder is a legitimate installation method.
Get the connections handled properly, then move the appliance.
Stoves and ovens are another kind of appliances where the connection matters more than the appliance itself. Electric ranges may be plugged in or hard-wired. Gas ranges require attention to the gas supply.
If you’re dealing with gas or hard-wired electrical connections, bring in the appropriate professional rather than making the moving crew responsible for utility work. The order should be “Disconnect, prepare, move, reconnect.”
Not the other way around.
Most appliance-moving disasters aren’t really cinematic.
Usually, there’s just a puddle.
The washer wasn’t drained properly. The refrigerator was moved sideways without checking the manufacturer’s instructions. A refrigerator door wasn’t secured and swings open halfway through the move. A gas line was forgotten until the movers arrived. A washing machine’s transport bolts weren’t installed when the manufacturer required them, leaving the drum free to absorb every bump in the road.
Or somebody assumes the movers will hook everything back up at the new house.
Maybe. Maybe not.
That’s why it’s worth asking two separate questions about every appliance: “Who disconnects it?” and “Who moves it?”
Those aren’t necessarily the same person. And frankly, that’s fine. A moving crew should be able to tell you where their responsibility begins and ends.
Prepare them before moving day, disconnect water and power where appropriate, drain water-connected machines, secure loose components, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Then let the moving crew handle the physical transportation.
Empty, defrost, dry, disconnect, and secure the refrigerator before transportation, keeping it upright whenever practical. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions if it has to be transported differently.
It can be done with some refrigerators, but upright transportation is generally preferable. If the unit must be laid down, check the manufacturer’s instructions for positioning and the required wait time before restarting it.
Not necessarily. Movers can transport prepared appliances, while gas, hard-wired electrical, and complicated plumbing connections may need to be handled by qualified specialists.
Don’t assume that reconnection is included. Movers may place the appliance, while plumbing, gas, or hard-wired electrical work may need to be completed separately.
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