Recycling an Old HVAC Air Conditioner Disposal in Manhattan, NY

How do I dispose of an old AC unit in NYC?

What do HVAC companies do with old AC units?

How to get rid of an air conditioning unit?

Can I scrap my old AC unit?

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Disposal Old AC Unit New York

America throws out some six million window air conditioners every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. If yours will be joining those ranks as the summer winds down—maybe it’s broken, maybe after all this heat you’ve resigned to moving to the Yukon before June rolls around again—you should know that tossing an AC is not as simple as hauling the unit to the curb. In fact, it’s actually illegal to smuggle your AC to a landfill with the rest of your trash.

That’s because ACs contain refrigerant, which can contribute to climate change. In older appliances, these are chlorofluorocarbons (you might know them by their nickname, CFCs). Newer units contain hydrochlorofluorocarbons or hydrofluorocarbon. Yes, all of those names sound the same—don’t worry about distinguishing between the three of them, because they’re all pretty bad for the environment. All three act as greenhouse gases if released into the atmosphere, and with the exception of the last one, will deplete the ozone layer. If your AC winds up in a landfill with the refrigerants still inside, they will leak out and go into the sky and wreak havok.

We do a variety of things that are kind of bad for the environment all the time—including using electricity to run ACs in the first place—so what’s so bad about taking this particular life shortcut? A lot. Refrigerants are such powerful greenhouse gases that venting the refrigerant inside a single AC unit boosts the greenhouse effect as much as driving a car over 3,000 miles, according to EPA spokesperson Melissa Harrison. Basically, carelessly throwing out an AC unit has roughly the same environmental impact as taking a road trip from New York to New Jersey . (It’s less fun, too—or at least involves fewer Spotify playlists).

A few cities have municipal services that will come pick up your air conditioner. If you are in New York City, you can make an appointment with the Department of Sanitation using this online form. You’ll leave the unit curbside, and someone will come remove the CFCs on the designated day. They’ll then tag the appliance and it will be removed on the next trash day. (It’s a good idea to leave a note on the unit to indicate that it’s broken so that no one else picks it up.)

In New York City, the disposal of old units varies depending on the type of unit, such as an air conditioner (AC), electronic, or large appliance

. For most residents, disposal is handled through the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) after making an appointment or by dropping the item off at a designated site.

For units containing Freon (CFCs) Units that cool or chill—such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and dehumidifiers—must have their refrigerants removed by a certified technician before disposal.

Step 1: Schedule an appointment. You can schedule a CFC/Freon removal appointment online through the NYC311 website or by calling 311. You must do this before placing the unit on the curb.

Step 2: Curbside placement. Place the appliance on the curb between 6 p.m. and midnight the evening before your scheduled appointment.

Step 3: DSNY tags the item. A DSNY technician will come to your location to remove the refrigerant and attach a tag to the item.

Step 4: Curbside recycling pickup. Leave the tagged unit at the curb. DSNY will pick it up on your next metal and rigid plastic recycling day.

Flammable refrigerants: Note that newer appliances may contain flammable refrigerants (R600a or R32), which DSNY cannot collect. You will need to contact the manufacturer or a private removal service for these units. For electronics (e-waste)

E-waste, including computers, tablets, TVs, and VCRs, is illegal to put in the trash in NYC.

Drop-off sites: You can take electronics to a Special Waste Drop-off Site or attend a SAFE Disposal Event hosted by DSNY.

Retailer drop-off: Many large retailers, such as Best Buy and Staples, accept electronics for recycling, regardless of where they were originally purchased.

ecycleNYC program: If you live in an apartment building with 10 or more units, your building may be enrolled in the free ecycleNYC program for convenient, in-building collection.

Manufacturer take-back: Under New York State law, many manufacturers are required to take back their products for recycling at no cost.

For large, non-refrigerant appliances

Large appliances like washing machines and ovens do not require a special appointment, but you must put them out on your designated recycling day.

Preparation: Remove doors from large appliances like washing machines and ovens for safety.

Curbside placement: Place the unit on the curb for pickup with other large metal items. You can set out up to six large items per collection day.

Alternative disposal options

Professional junk removal services: Many private companies operate in New York and will pick up and haul away almost any item, including older or oversized units. Some popular services found on Yelp include The Junkluggers of Queens and Just Rubbish Removal.

Donation or resale: If your unit is in good, working condition, you can donate it to a charity like the Salvation Army or sell it on a platform like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

Before you dispose of anything

Verify your collection schedule: Check your specific DSNY collection days by entering your address on the official NYC.gov website.

Check for rules: The official "How to get rid of" online tool from DSNY can provide specific disposal instructions for a wide range of items.

Disposal of Old Units NYC

Disposal of Old Units NYC New York, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island

Call In GE Distributor Services To Clear Out An Old AC

Getting rid of an old air-conditioning is going to require a lot of heavy lifting. That is the kind of task that could definitely put a strain on your back. You can avoid that by hiring an outside company to do this task. A company like GE Distributor Services New York, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island provides the moving crew to do all the lifting and loading. More importantly, that same crew will also know the proper place to dispose of that old air-conditioning unit. That is why hiring GE Distributor Services is the best way to clear out an old AC.

Avoiding The Heat Wave

New York, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island is definitely a city where you do not want to be without air-conditioning. If your air conditioner is showing signs of a “meltdown,” then you definitely want to get it replaced before it goes up altogether. Obviously, before the new air conditioner can be installed, the old one needs to be cleared away. Once you have designated net conditioner is obsolete is not something that you can hand down to someone else in the family. Instead, it needs to be disposed of a certified recycling center and that is exactly where the team from GE Distributor Services will drop off your old air conditioner as part of their complete removal package.

The cost to GE Distributor Services service will be determined by how everything fits on to the back of the GE Distributor Services truck. If you are just getting rid of that single air-conditioner, it is clear that it will take up a lot of space. That means you can pay the low end of the price scale. Of course, it also means there will be plenty of room left over for anything else that you want to clear out.

Getting rid of your old air conditioner is the perfect job to hand off to the team GE Distributor Services New York, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island . Your session today.

This entry was posted in New York, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island Junk Removal, junk removal and tagged GE Distributor Services, old air conditioner on by GE Distributor Services. Last updated .