The simplest way to get rid of an old refrigerator in Texas is to have someone haul it off and recover the freon the right way, whether that someone is a junk crew, a scrap yard, or the store dropping off your new one. A fridge comes with a catch that a couch never does. It holds refrigerant the federal rules say has to be pulled by a certified hand before the metal gets crushed, so dragging it to the curb usually gets it left behind. Around Trinity County we take fridges and freezers seven days a week, freon and all. Below is how each option really shakes out, what the old unit is worth in scrap, and what it costs to make it gone for good.
What are your options for an old refrigerator?
You have four real options for an old refrigerator: retailer haul-away when the new one is delivered, a scrap yard run if it is dead and you own a truck, donation if it still runs cold, or a junk hauler who handles the lifting and the freon for you.
You've got four real options for an old refrigerator: pay a junk hauler to take it, drive it to a scrap yard yourself, ask the store delivering your new fridge to cart the old one off, or donate it if it still keeps things cold. Which one fits comes down to whether the fridge works, how far you want to haul it, and whether you feel like wrestling a few hundred pounds of steel up a ramp by yourself.
- Retailer pickup: most appliance stores will haul the old fridge when they deliver the new one, sometimes free, sometimes for a small fee. Set it up on the order, because a lot of delivery drivers won't take it if you didn't ask ahead of time.
- Scrap yard: if the fridge is dead and you own a truck, a yard will take the steel, though most want the freon recovered before they weigh it.
- Donation: a unit that still runs cold and looks decent can go to a reuse store or a neighbor who needs a garage fridge. Once it's iffy or starts to smell, nobody wants it.
- Junk haul-off: when it's heavy, dead, or buried behind other stuff, a crew like ours does the lifting, the freon, and the drive to the recycler.
Clearing out more than the fridge? Our rundown on getting rid of old appliances handles washers, dryers, stoves, and water heaters the same honest way.
Why freon makes a refrigerator harder to toss
Federal EPA rules require a certified technician to recover the refrigerant from a fridge or freezer before it is scrapped or landfilled, which is why curbside programs and many transfer stations turn them away. The gas comes out first, then the steel shell is clear to head to metal recycling.
Refrigerators, freezers, and window AC units hold refrigerant, commonly called freon, that the EPA requires be recovered by a certified technician before the appliance gets scrapped or landfilled. That's why plenty of curbside programs and transfer stations either turn fridges away or tack on a separate fee. The gas comes out first, then the steel shell is clear to head to metal recycling.
There's a reason behind the rule. Older refrigerants chew at the ozone layer and count as potent greenhouse gases, so venting them into the Trinity County air is both against the law and a genuinely bad idea. When we pick up a fridge we handle the recovery as part of the job, which is what the $35 freon add-on covers, so you don't have to track down a technician or sort out the paperwork. Curious where the rest of it winds up? We laid out where your junk actually goes once it leaves the driveway.
What's an old refrigerator worth in scrap?
An old refrigerator brings roughly ten to twenty dollars at an East Texas scrap yard, sometimes less, and most yards want the freon recovered before they will weigh it. Add gas, an hour of loading, and the drive, and the scrap run rarely pays for itself.
Honestly, very little. A refrigerator is mostly steel with a little copper and aluminum in the compressor and coils, and at typical East Texas scrap prices a whole unit brings roughly ten to twenty dollars by weight, sometimes less than that. Most yards want the freon already recovered before they'll put it on the scale, so you can end up paying to drain it before you collect a dime.
Gas to the yard, an hour of your morning, and the fight to get a dead fridge into a truck bed can easily cost more than the scrap check pays back. A working fridge is a different story: the copper and a running compressor are worth a bit more, but a unit that still cools is almost always worth more sold or given away than crushed for metal.
What does it cost to have us haul your old fridge?
A single refrigerator is $95 to haul off, plus a $35 add-on to recover the freon, all handled and gone in one stop. If it rides along with other junk we price by trailer space, from $175 for a quarter load up to $650 for a full one.
A single refrigerator is $95, plus a $35 add-on to recover the freon, hauled off and handled in one trip. If the fridge is riding along with a pile of other junk, we price the whole load by how much room it fills in the trailer: a quarter load is $175, a half load $325, three-quarter $475, and a full load $650. You only pay for the space your stuff takes up.
Travel is free inside 25 miles of Trinity. Past that, out toward the edge of our 50-mile radius, there's a small trip fee of about $2 a mile, and we tell you that number up front so nothing sneaks up on you. Pay when the job's done: cash, check, or Cash App. The price we say standing in your driveway is the price you pay, and if you don't like it you're free to walk. See the full breakdown on our services page, or get a free quote and we'll size it up.
What to do when the refrigerator goes out
When a fridge dies, empty it first: toss food that has sat above 40 degrees for more than two hours, move the rest to a cooler, then unplug the unit and prop the door open so mold never gets a start while you decide what comes next.
When a fridge quits, pull the food first. Toss anything that's sat above 40 degrees for more than a couple hours, and move what you can save into a cooler or a neighbor's freezer. Then unplug the unit, prop the door open so it doesn't grow mold, and decide whether you're repairing or replacing before it turns into a science project in the garage.
A dead fridge left shut up for a week is one of the worst smells you'll ever deal with, so if it's going, get it gone. Empty it, wipe it down, and tape the door shut if there are kids around. When you're ready for it to leave, that part's on us.
Ready to get the old fridge out of the way?
We haul refrigerators and freezers across Trinity County and out to the lake towns, including plenty of pickups over in Onalaska and right here in Trinity. Call or text (936) 259-3200, or get a free quote and we'll hand you a number the same day. Family owned, and when you call you get one of us on the phone.
Questions we hear a lot
If it still runs cold, sell it or donate it, because a working fridge is worth more that way than as scrap. If it's dead or you just want it gone, a junk hauler who recovers the freon is the lowest-hassle route. Around Trinity we take it, pull the refrigerant, and haul it in one stop: a single item is $95 plus the $35 freon add-on.
You can drive a dead fridge to a scrap yard yourself, ask the store delivering your new one to take it, or have us pick it up. Curbside and the transfer station often refuse fridges or charge extra because of the freon. We come to you seven days a week inside our 50-mile radius, freon recovery included.
Toss anything that's been above 40 degrees for more than about two hours: meat, dairy, eggs, and leftovers are the usual casualties. Condiments, hard cheeses, and unopened jars usually hold up longer. Move whatever's still cold into a cooler or a neighbor's freezer, then prop the fridge door open so it doesn't turn moldy while you decide what to do with it.
Not much. A whole fridge is mostly steel with a little copper and aluminum, so at East Texas scrap prices it brings roughly ten to twenty dollars by weight, sometimes less. Most yards also want the freon recovered before they'll weigh it, so the gas and drive can eat up whatever the scrap check pays back.