Moving major appliances: transit bolts, defrosting, and when to call a licensed pro

Appliances are the items people underestimate most on moving day — not because they’re fragile-looking, but because they’re not. A washer seems like a big sturdy box. It’s actually a big sturdy box with a suspended drum inside that can destroy itself in transit if you skip one preparation step. Every major appliance has a version of that story: a specific thing it needs before it rides in a truck, and a specific way people learn about it the hard way. Here’s the rundown, appliance by appliance.

Washing machines: the transit bolt rule

A front-load washer’s drum floats on springs and shock absorbers so it can spin at high speed without walking across your laundry room. That suspension is exactly the problem in a moving truck: every bump sends the heavy drum bouncing against its own supports, and the damage — to bearings, to the tub, to the frame — can be terminal. The fix is the set of transit bolts (shipping bolts) that came with the machine, which lock the drum rigid for travel. They were removed at installation and, in most households, promptly lost. Find them if you can, order replacements for your model if you can’t — they’re widely available — and thread them in before moving day. Beyond the bolts: disconnect and drain both hoses, run the drain cycle to empty the pump, tape the hoses inside the drum or bag them, and leave the door cracked ahead of time so the machine travels dry. Top-loaders are more forgiving but still appreciate having the tub secured per the manual.

Refrigerators and freezers: defrost early, not the night before

The refrigerator needs the longest head start of anything in your house. Empty it, unplug it, and let it defrost with the doors open — a day or two ahead is the comfortable window, because a freezer with real frost buildup produces a surprising amount of water and needs towels and time. Disconnect and drain the water line if you have an ice maker or door dispenser, and empty the ice bin. Wipe the interior dry and prop the doors open until loading so mildew doesn’t get a head start; during the ride, doors get secured shut. At the new house, the old advice is still good advice: after the fridge is upright in place, give it a few hours before plugging it in so the compressor oil settles back where it belongs, especially if the unit spent any time tilted.

Gas appliances: this is where you call a licensed pro

Here is the line we will not blur: movers move appliances; licensed professionals disconnect and reconnect gas. A gas dryer, range, or cooktop should be disconnected from its supply line by a licensed plumber or gas fitter before moving day, with the valve properly shut off and capped — and reconnected and leak-checked by a licensed pro at the new house. A gas fitting that’s “probably fine” is a hazard in a way a scratched dryer simply isn’t; this is not a savings opportunity. The same logic applies to hard-wired appliances and fixed plumbing connections like dishwashers: have the trade professional do the disconnect, then the movers handle the carrying. And while we’re on safety: propane tanks don’t go on the truck at all — they’re on the industry’s standard list of non-allowables, along with the rest of the flammable and pressurized things a moving truck can’t legally carry.

Dryers, dishwashers, and the smaller details

Electric dryers are the easy ones — unplug, detach the vent duct, and clean the lint path while it’s accessible. Dishwashers need their disconnect (see above), a full drain, and a day with the door open to dry out. Ranges lose their grates, racks, and burner parts into a labeled box so nothing rattles loose in transit. Every appliance travels upright, padded, and strapped, ideally with its cord taped to its own back and its manual’s moving instructions given thirty seconds of your attention — manufacturers are surprisingly specific about this, and the instructions are free.

When you request your free written estimate, tell us which appliances are coming so the crew arrives with the right equipment and the plan accounts for them — and so we can remind you about the gas disconnect while there’s still time to schedule a pro. It’s one line in the planning now, or a long moving-day delay later. New Jersey law requires the estimate to be written and free; the appliance conversation comes with it.