In short
- Curbside crews leave fridges and freezers behind, and the refrigerant has to come out, with a tag on the unit, before any landfill accepts it.
- One Ottawa firm lists a single item at $135 before tax; another prints no surcharge for fridges and freezers.
- A third firm lists $30–$50 extra for an appliance with Freon.
- A fridge is unplugged about 24 hours before pickup on one firm's checklist, so it can defrost.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single item (one fridge) | $135 | One Ottawa firm’s estimate, before tax |
| Minimum pickup | $129–$175 | Two Ottawa firms’ published minimums |
| Fridge or freezer surcharge | none | One Ottawa firm prints no surcharge |
| Appliance with Freon | $30–$50 extra | Another firm’s item fee |
| Quarter truck (fridge plus other items) | $329 | First firm, before tax |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026: Junk Ninja, appliance removal (single $135, quarter $329, unplug about 24 hours ahead, ice-maker water line); Junk That Funk, pricing ($129 minimum, no surcharge for fridges and freezers); Mighty Mouse Junk Removal (minimums from $175); JunkPal, pricing (Freon appliance $30–$50); 1-800-GOT-JUNK, refrigerator disposal, Ottawa (process, accepted types). City: Special items (appliances not collected at the curb; cooling chemicals removed and the unit tagged by a technician certified for refrigerants); By-law 2024-453; Trail Waste Facility rates. 613 Bins, what the City takes (tag refused at the gate). The company that calls sets its own price.
Fridge, freezer or bar fridge
A fridge is the one appliance with a rule of its own. It has a sealed cooling system, and the refrigerant inside has to come out before the unit is scrapped. The same applies to chest and upright freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers. The City’s special items page lists refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners among the appliances it does not pick up at the curb.
For the rest of the appliances, see appliance removal.
The refrigerant step
On its special items page the City requires the refrigerant to be taken out, and the unit tagged by a technician certified for that work, before any landfill site will accept it; untagged units are turned away. A third-party Ottawa guide names the Trail Road landfill gate. Haulers handle this their own way, and their pages differ. One national brand says it handles refrigerants under local safety regulations; another firm’s page is silent about refrigerant, and a third prints a $30–$50 fee for Freon units.
So ask, in plain words: is refrigerant removal in the price?
What the pickup costs
On one Ottawa list a single item is $135 before tax, and a quarter truck is $329. Two other firms publish minimums of $129 and from $175. The $129 firm prints no surcharge for fridges and freezers. The firm with the Freon fee puts it at $30–$50.
A fridge alone is a small job. A fridge with a washer, a stove and a couch moves the quote up to a share of the truck. Stairs raise it, and a chest freezer from a basement more than most.
Getting it out the door
The crew handles the lift. You handle the empty fridge. Food out, shelves and drawers out, plug pulled. One firm asks for 24 hours of defrosting.
Doors and stairs decide the job. Measure the opening and the narrowest turn, and note a basement exit. A chest freezer is deep and heavy. Say so.
Where it goes
One national brand lists donation drop-off to local charities and recycling at local facilities, with certified waste management when neither is possible. The City’s Trail Waste Facility rate list shows scrap metal free when source-separated. Ask the company which route yours takes. For a working fridge, the donating furniture page has the reuse routes.
Timing
A replacement fridge arrives on a fixed day, and the old one is in the way. Put the delivery date in the request, or mark it flexible, so the pickup lands on delivery day or just ahead of it. A basement fridge from a basement cleanout often travels with other items.
Ask for it in writing
The quote should say: the unit and floor, the price with refrigerant handling named, HST, the stair charge, the arrival window, and where the unit goes. Ask for the refrigerant tag details in writing.
Who comes to the door
The fridge request reaches one independent hauler, which then owns the job: the call about stairs and the water line, the price with the refrigerant line in it, the tag, the truck. Ottawa Junk Desk sets no fee and sends no one.
Questions to ask the company
- Is the refrigerant removal part of your price, or does it add a fee?
- Do you take a fridge that has stopped working, and one that still runs?
- Can you remove it from a basement, and what do you charge for the stairs?
- Who tags the unit, and may I have a copy of the paperwork?
- Do you take a deep chest freezer and a bar fridge in the same trip?
Have this ready for the call
- Type and size: top-freezer, side-by-side, French door, chest freezer or bar fridge
- Whether it runs, and whether the ice maker is hooked to a water line
- Emptied of food, shelves and drawers, with the plug pulled the day before
- A measured path: door width, stair turns, and the height of the fridge against any low ceiling
- A towel and a clear floor for the water that drips as it defrosts
Questions people ask
What does the refrigerant tag on a fridge mean?
A technician certified for refrigerants draws the cooling chemicals out of the sealed system and tags the unit as done. The City says untagged units are refused entry to a landfill site, and a third-party Ottawa guide names the Trail Road gate. Ask any hauler whether their price includes the removal and who handles the paperwork.
How long should a fridge sit unplugged before pickup?
One Ottawa firm tells customers to unplug fridges and freezers about 24 hours ahead, so the ice melts. Put towels on the floor and leave the doors ajar. Ask the company on the call what it wants, since firms differ on this.
Do I need to empty the ice maker line?
Shut the water valve and ask a plumber or the crew to disconnect the line. A fridge with a water hookup leaks if pulled with the line attached. Mention the ice maker in the request, so the company brings what it needs.
Does an old fridge really cost much to run?
One hauler’s page says older fridges use up to 1,700 kWh a year and may add up to 15% to an electricity bill. That is a marketing claim; the nameplate on your unit or the utility bill gives your own number. A new unit may pay back, depending on age.
My fridge has a recall notice. Can a hauler take it?
Check the recall with the manufacturer or Health Canada first, since a recalled unit may qualify for a repair or refund. If you still want it gone, say so in the request. Keep the model and serial number from the label inside the door.
Can a hauler take the contents as well?
Food goes in the green bin before the day. A crew moves the appliance, and wet food leaks in a truck. Bottles, jars and condiments go to the recycling stream. Empty it fully, so the weight and the smell stay down.
