Let’s be real. Moving a refrigerator is one of those tasks that sounds simple until you’re staring down a 300-pound appliance with no clue where to start. It’s bulky, it’s heavy, and if you mess it up, you might end up with a busted appliance, busted house, or busted back.
Fortunately, we spoke with five moving pros who’ve wrangled more fridges than most of us have opened. So if you’re planning to move a fridge from your home in Salt Lake City, UT, to your next house in San Antonio, TX, or just across the kitchen, read this first.
Don’t just yank it—prep it
Before you even think about budging that fridge an inch, it needs to be properly prepped. This isn’t a grab-it-and-go operation.
“Remove food and loose shelves. Clean the interior. Unplug and secure the power cord. Disconnect and drain the water line if applicable,” says Landon Franchow of Miracle Movers. Basically, treat your fridge like it’s going on vacation and you’re the responsible roommate making sure everything’s clean and shut off..
And speaking of unplugging, do it early. Like, the night before.
“At least 24 hours before moving to allow defrosting and temperature stabilization,” Landon adds. That gives the fridge time to defrost if there’s any frost buildup, which is important unless you want to create an impromptu water feature in the moving truck. “It takes 4 to 24 hours. Plan to use towels to absorb any water runoff.”
Renovating your home?
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Renovating your home?
Find out what your home’s worth, edit facts, and see the impact of home projects.
Wrapping and strapping, not just for gifts
Once your fridge is prepped, it’s time to cocoon it like the fragile beast it is.
“Wrap the fridge with a moving blanket and stretch wrap to avoid exterior damage,” says Robert Ball of Uinta Moving Company. “Place the fridge upright against the wall [of…
