How to Uninstall a Washer and Dryer

When your old washer and dryer have reached the end of their functionality, or you simply decide to upgrade to something better, you’ll need to know how to uninstall your washer and dryer.

In this quick guide, we’ll walk you through how to uninstall a washing machine, dryer, and even how to uninstall a gas dryer.

📖 Were you looking for our step-by-step guide for installing your washer and dryer?

Should I just pay for uninstallation?

The easiest and fastest route is to hire professionals to uninstall your washer and dryer when you buy new ones. However, that’s not always possible – or cost-effective.

For example, if you buy a used washer and dryer to upgrade your old washer and dryer, then you will either have to pay a service to install your upgraded washer and dryer or you’ll have to go the DIY route.

Let’s take a closer look at what is involved with uninstalling your old washer and dryer as well as what you can do with your old appliances if they’re either just used, old or broken.

First, let the washer run for a wash cycle and a spin cycle to ensure that there is no leftover water in the machine. The water is heavy and obviously very messy. It is in your best interest to remove as much water as possible from your machine before doing anything with the cords.

Washing machines use standard plugs and outlets to power them. In this step, simply unplug the washing machine from the power.

Once you’ve run a cycle and are sure there is no remaining water in the machine, it’s time to turn off the water running into the washer.

Locate the hot and cold water supply knobs that are coming out of the wall. Turn both knobs clockwise (righty=tighty), and hand-tighten until they no longer turn.

⚠️Do not overtighten the knobs. This could result in cracking, and could potentially lead to a very large, very expensive plumbing problem.

Once you turn off the water, remove each hose from the hot and cold water supply. You may need an adjustable wrench for this step to loosen them from the water supply. Gently turn each hose to the left until it is free from the water supply.

💧Water lines may still contain water. When you disconnect the hose from the water supply, have a towel or bucket nearby to catch the remaining water in each hot and cold water hose.

In some machines, the hot and cold water hoses are designed to be stored inside the washing machine. This is a great design feature as it makes transporting the washer easier and safer.

You might be able to feed the hoses into the back of the washing machine. If your machine doesn’t allow this, go ahead and disconnect them in the same way you disconnected them from the wall, and place them both in the drum of your washer for safe storage.

You should see a hose running into the wall in between the hot and cold water supply knobs. This is your drain hose. Pull it straight up and out to remove it from the wall.

In many cases, you can feed the drain hose back into the back of the washing machine for easy storage by pushing the drain hose into the unit.

In the last step, check your washing machine for any damage before attempting to move it. You’ll want to look for areas where metal has become damaged, and sharp edges may be sticking out, as this can lead to injury.

Now that you’ve uninstalled the washing machine, let’s move onto how to uninstall the dryer. We’ll begin with an electric dryer, and then move onto a gas dryer.

Congrats on uninstalling the washing machine! That was the hard part. Uninstalling a dryer is much more straightforward and simple, and only requires a few easy steps.

When working with a large appliance like a dryer that’s using a lot of electricity, you should always turn off the power before proceeding.

Locate the circuit breaker in your main breaker box that powers the dryer and switch it off. This is usually labeled, but if not, you can either turn on the dryer first and test each breaker or if you prefer, you can turn off all the power to your home.

Dryer plugs are a little larger than the normal plug you use on a daily basis. They can either be three- or four-pronged, depending on the type of connection your dryer uses.

Once you’re sure the power to the dryer is turned off, grab the dryer plug firmly and pull it towards you to unplug it. Due to the industrious nature of a dryer plug, you may need to give it a bit of a tug.

Typically, removing the dryer vent hose is as easy as removing the clasp that holds the hose to the dryer vent. Using a flathead screwdriver, loosen the screw that holds the dryer vent to the vent in your wall. It should only take a few turns to loosen. Once the screw is loosed, you should be able to easily pull the vent hose away from the wall.

Repeat this step to disconnect the vent hose from the dryer, itself.

You should be prepared for lint and potentially other debris to come loose. Keep in mind this can provide a bit of a respiratory hazard, so either hold your breath or wear a mask. 😷

Finally, once the hose is removed, you should check your dryer vent for blockage. It is a good idea to inspect your dryer vent before installing a new dryer. Excess lint can easily be removed by using the hose attachment on your vacuum and sucking out the dryer vent.

⚠️ Lint is highly flammable. Using your vacuum to suck out any remaining lint out of the dryer vent is a crucial step to reduce to the potential for a fire-hazard.

The main benefit of a gas dryer is that they are highly efficient, and tend to dry clothes a lot faster than an electric dryer. However, uninstalling a gas dryer can be a hassle since gas is dangerous and flammable.

For this reason, you’ll want to call your gas company for help. Whether you are swapping out a new gas dryer or switching from gas to electric, you definitely need to get them involved. If you are removing your gas line, then this is a task that should be handled completely by your gas company. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to perform any tasks related to removing a gas line on your own unless you possess expertise in this area.

The good news is that the gas company is usually pretty good about coming out to your house in an expedient manner – they don’t want hazardous gas leaks either!

Locate the gas line behind your dryer. This should be a copper or gold metal line with a knob located on it. When the knob is parallel to the line, this means that gas is still flowing.

To turn off the gas, turn the knob perpendicular to the gas line.

Turn the main power to your gas dryer off by locating the circuit breaker that powers it in your main circuit breaker box, and switch it off. Test that the power is off by trying to turn the dryer on. If it doesn’t turn on, you’ve successfully turned off the power.

You can now safely unplug the dryer from the wall.

Using a flathead screwdriver, loosen the screw that holds the dryer vent to the vent in your wall. It should only take a few turns to loosen. Once the screw is loosed, you should be able to easily pull the vent hose away from the wall.

Repeat this step to disconnect the vent hose from the dryer, itself.

At the point, you’ve done all you can safely do without professional help. Go ahead and contact your gas company to complete the uninstall process.

Without the right tools, this task can be very difficult – and sometimes even dangerous – for an inexperienced person to attempt on their own. You don’t want to even try transporting a washer or dryer without some backup.

For most people and most situations, this is a two-person job. So you’ll want to enlist a friend to help you, and preferably a friend who is big and strong.

Obtain the right supplies

There are several supplies you need to have on hand to assist you in safely moving and transporting your washing machine and dryer. If you don’t already have these tools available, they can be purchased or rented from your local hardware store.

A dolly with straps: Few people are large enough and strong enough to pick up, move, or carry a washer or dryer. A sturdy appliance dolly is a must for this endeavor.

Appliance dollies usually come with straps for holding appliances in place. Using the straps is a very prudent idea and can reduce the risk of injury.

Get some tough gloves: You’ll need additional supplies when moving a washer or dryer, such as a good pair of gloves with excellent grip surfaces. The last thing you want when you are trying to move a heavy and bulky appliance is to lose your grip.

Moving your appliances

Getting your washer or dryer onto the dolly is part of the battle, but the war is far from over. Once you have your washer or dryer on the dolly, you have to exercise considerable caution. Moving appliances comes with a degree of risk. It is possible to get injured in a variety of ways, and some of those ways can be very serious and include broken bones.

Clear the path. Likewise, you may damage your home or objects within it when moving a large appliance. More than one person has sadly ended up with a hole or a dent in the wall.

It is a good idea to walk the path you’ll be taking when moving your washer and dryer in advance to look for items that should be moved or that could be damaged.

Don’t forget to clean up. Finally, be prepared to do a lot of clean up after you’ve moved your washer and dryer. The area underneath will likely be dirty and will contain some lint.

Removing any old appliance, especially large ones like refrigerators or washers and dryers, comes with a degree of risk to both your person and property. Opting to work with professionals, such as LoadUp, is a savvy move.

Appliances are not just heavy and awkward, but they can also be dangerous and involve the use of utilities like electricity, water, and gas. In short, the disconnection of washers and dryers is something best left to the professionals.

The simple fact is that if you are looking for a fast, trouble-free, and efficient way to get rid of your old washer and dryer, then LoadUp is an excellent option.

Why risk injury and spend countless hours working to uninstall and remove your washer and dryer when the experts at LoadUp can do it for you?

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• What is Luxury In-Home Pickup?
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• How Much Does Appliance Removal Cost Near Me?
• How to Properly Dispose of Large Household Items