The following question was recently posed by one of our agents:
My client is using a moving company and they say the moving company will not disconnect the electric washer/dryer. Other companies have also said this to her. They will move the appliances, just not disconnect them. My plumber wants to charge $134 to do this. What’s up?
Disconnecting a clothes washer and dryer involves unplugging the 110 volt cord coming from the washer, shutting off the hot and the cold water valves, removing the “gooseneck” drain hose from the drain pipe, unplugging the 220 volt cord coming from the dryer and disconnecting the vent pipe from the dryer.
While this is very easy to accomplish, there can be some complications. The plumber is probably charging a trip charge, it will cost more for him to travel to the job than to complete the work. The reason the moving companies will not disconnect the washer/dryer is that sometimes the shutoff valves stick or are corroded. This can occur where the washer hoses connect to the valves. It can be impossible to get the water to fully shut off, thus causing flooding and water damage. Therefore, no one wants the potential liability.
The newer “ball” valves (straight handle that turns at a right angle to the pipe to shut off) are much better than “gate” valves (those with a round handle that turn several clockwise revolutions to shut off). In reality, it is not a big deal and only a problem if the fittings are old or the hoses haven't been changed for years. If the valve won't shut off, then you need to leave the washer connected until your plumber can replace the valves.
Note: Be sure to tie up the drain hose to the top of the washer, so you don’t leave a trail of water as you move the washer, as there will still be water inside the hose and the washer pump. If you have a gas dryer you will need to shut the gas “ball” valve (handle at right angle to the gas line) and also cap the gas line (use a “black pipe” cap and pipe dope made for gas connections) once you remove the flex pipe.