A washing machine weighs 60 to 80 kg, mostly because of the concrete counterweights that stop the drum shaking. That makes it awkward to get out of a tight kitchen or down a flight of stairs, and it usually still has water sitting in the pump and hoses. Disconnecting it badly is the usual cause of flooded floors on the day an old machine leaves.
We turn off the cold-fill valve, disconnect the inlet hose, unhook the waste pipe from the standpipe or trap, drain the residual water and cap the open fittings so the kitchen is left dry. Vented and condenser dryers are unplugged and the vent hose or water container dealt with. The machine is recycled at a licensed WEEE site, where the steel, motor and circuit boards are recovered.
What is included
- Turning off the cold-fill isolation valve and disconnecting the inlet hose
- Unhooking the waste hose from the standpipe or sink trap
- Draining residual water from the pump and hoses
- Capping or blanking open fittings where a cap is available
- Pulling the machine out from under the worktop without damaging the floor
- Removing a vented dryer's flexible hose with the machine
- Carry-out, transport and recycling at a licensed WEEE site
- Waste transfer note
Who it is for
- Households whose new machine is arriving without a take-back slot
- Machines that have broken down with a full drum of water
- Upstairs flats and properties with tight stairs
- Landlords swapping out a failed washer between or during tenancies
- Utility room or kitchen refits
How much does it cost?
As a guide, removing and recycling a single washing machine, dryer or washer dryer usually costs £30 to £70, with a second machine in the same visit usually adding less than the first. See our full cost guide.