Moving Appliances in NYC: Fridges, Washers & the Prep Rules

Appliances are the only furniture with plumbing and physics attached: they need prep that starts 24–48 hours before the crew arrives, and skipping it turns a 10-minute carry into a wet floor. The prep list, appliance by appliance:

The 24–48 hour prep

• **Fridge/freezer:** empty, defrost 24–48h ahead (towels for the melt), wipe dry, tape doors ajar for transit ventilation — moldy sealed fridges are a genre
• **Washer:** disconnect and drain hoses, and install the **drum shipping bolts** if you have them — an unsecured drum can destroy itself in transit; crews can strap it as plan B
• **Dishwasher:** disconnect, drain, tape the racks — plumbing disconnects beyond a simple valve are a plumber's 20 minutes, not the crew's
• **Stove/gas dryer:** gas disconnects are for licensed plumbers only — schedule it the day before; the crew moves the appliance, never the gas line

Transit rules

• **Fridges ride upright** — laying one down risks compressor oil in the cooling lines; if it must tilt, it stands 4+ hours at the destination before plugging in
• Doors taped or strapped shut, cords taped to the body, blankets over stainless (it scratches like glass)
• NYC wrinkle: measure the appliance vs. the stairwell — full-size American fridges and pre-war doorways are an old rivalry

Should it even come?

Rental-to-rental moves usually mean the appliances stay (landlord's). When they're yours: a fridge or washer under ~5 years old is worth moving locally; older units, and any move where the destination includes appliances, tilt toward selling/disposal — remembering that fridges and ACs need the DSNY CFC appointment.