Home › Disposal guides › Appliances (fridges, freezers, AC units)

Where to get rid of appliances near San Diego, CA

We found 10 open or status-unknown disposal sites within 50 miles of San Diego, and 4 of them have rules we checked against an official website. None of the verified sites near San Diego specifically mention appliances in their posted rules, so call before you load up. 1 say they don't take appliances or restrict them (Household Hazardous Waste Transfer Facility).

Nearest sites and what they say about appliances

  • Republic Services · 1.5 mi · San Diego County, CA
    Not verified yet – call to confirm
  • Household Hazardous Waste Transfer Facility · 1.9 mi · San Diego, CA Verified
    Listed as not accepted or restricted

    Posted rule: “Not accepted: e-waste, appliances, treated wood, asbestos, business waste, containers over 5 gal, explosives”

  • West Miramar SLF · 3.2 mi · San Diego, CA Verified
    Verified site, but its posted rules don't mention appliances – call to confirm
  • Sycamore SLF · 6.8 mi · Santee, CA Verified
    Verified site, but its posted rules don't mention appliances – call to confirm
  • Otay LF · 16.4 mi · Chula Vista, CA Verified
    Verified site, but its posted rules don't mention appliances – call to confirm
  • Escondido Resource Recovery · 21.4 mi · San Diego County, CA
    Not verified yet – call to confirm
  • Waste Management · 23.4 mi · San Diego County, CA
    Not verified yet – call to confirm
  • Pala Transfer Station · 38.1 mi · Pala, CA
    Not verified yet – call to confirm
  • Las Pulgas LF · 41.4 mi · Camp Pendleton (Mil Res), CA
    Not verified yet – call to confirm
  • San Onofre LF · 46.5 mi · Camp Pendleton (Mil Res), CA
    Not verified yet – call to confirm

Distances are straight-line from the center of San Diego. “Listed as accepted” means the site’s official page mentions it; we quote the exact wording. We never guess for sites we haven’t checked.

Don't want to haul it yourself? Get a junk removal quote

Junk removal crews load and dispose of it for you, usually priced by how much of the truck you fill.

Tip: get two or three quotes from local junk removal companies, and ask whether the price includes the dump fee and labor.

Bigger project? Estimate the dumpster size you need.

General tips for appliances

Federal law (Clean Air Act Section 608) requires the refrigerant in fridges, freezers, window air conditioners and dehumidifiers to be recovered before the appliance is scrapped or landfilled. That is why many facilities charge extra for anything with refrigerant, or require a tag showing a certified technician already removed it.

Other options. Many electric utilities run appliance recycling programs that pick up a working old fridge or freezer, sometimes with a rebate (EPA's Responsible Appliance Disposal program lists partners). Retailers often haul away the old unit when delivering a new one. Scrap metal yards take appliances without refrigerant (washers, dryers, stoves, water heaters), sometimes paying for the metal.

Before you go. Ask whether refrigerant removal is done on site and what it costs, and whether doors must be removed (a child-safety rule at many sites).

More: Appliances (fridges, freezers, AC units) disposal guide · All dumps near San Diego · Dump cost calculator