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Large appliances are the pieces most likely to stall a moving day. A refrigerator that is still wet inside, a washer with water in the hoses, or a gas dryer nobody disconnected can stop a crew that was ready to load.
Most of the fix is preparation that happens days earlier, not effort on the day itself. Water, power, and gas each need to be handled before anything heavy moves an inch, and one of those three is never a do-it-yourself job.
This guide covers what each major appliance needs before movers arrive, which tasks belong to a qualified professional, and what to tell the crew in advance. It covers large appliances and their utility connections only; small countertop items pack like anything else in the kitchen.
Direct answer: Get appliances ready by handling water, power, and gas before moving day. Defrost the refrigerator early enough for the interior to dry completely, shut off and drain the washer connections, and have a qualified professional disconnect and cap any gas appliance. Never treat gas disconnection as a do-it-yourself task. Then measure the path each unit will travel and tell the movers in advance what each appliance is, where it sits, and what has been disconnected.
Short answer: how do you get appliances ready for movers in San Antonio?
Work backward from moving day. Days ahead, empty the refrigerator and freezer, unplug them, and leave the doors open until the interior is completely dry. Shut off the water valves behind the washer, disconnect and drain the hoses, and pack them separately. For a gas dryer or range, schedule a qualified professional to disconnect and cap the line before the crew arrives. CPS Energy advises having natural gas appliances serviced and repaired by professionals, and movers do not open gas connections. Measure the doorways, hallways, and turns at both homes. Then send the appliance list and the measurements with your estimate request so the crew arrives with the right equipment and a workable plan.
Refrigerators and freezers: empty, defrost, and dry
Empty everything, including the door shelves and the ice bin. Then unplug the unit and prop the doors open so the frost can melt and the interior can dry. Put towels down for the melt water and give the process time. The unit must be completely dry inside before it is wrapped, so start well ahead of moving day, not the night before. The owner's manual for your model states the defrost and transport guidance the manufacturer expects you to follow.
If the refrigerator has an ice maker or a water dispenser, it has a supply line. Close the small valve that feeds it, then disconnect the line and let it drain into a towel. If a household valve will not close or keeps seeping, San Antonio Water System guidance is to shut off water at the meter. Repairs on private plumbing are a licensed plumber's job.
Remove loose glass shelves and crisper drawers, or secure them so they cannot shift in transit. Leave the doors open until the crew wraps the unit; the extra hours help the interior finish drying.
Washers and dryers: valves, hoses, and drums
A washer connects to the house at three points: a hot valve, a cold valve, and a drain. Close both supply valves, then disconnect the hoses and drain them into a bucket. Hoses left attached leak in the truck and inside the house on the way out. Bag the hoses and their fittings, label the bag, and carry it in your own vehicle so it cannot vanish into a random carton.
Front-loading washers often shipped with transport bolts that lock the drum for a move. If you still have them, the owner's manual shows where they thread in. If you do not, tell the movers, so the crew can plan around an unsecured drum.
An electric dryer needs unplugging and a vent disconnection, and the vent run behind it is worth clearing of lint while the machine is out of the way. A gas dryer is a different case entirely, covered next.
Gas appliances need a qualified professional
Do not disconnect a gas dryer or range yourself, and do not ask the moving crew to do it. CPS Energy, which provides natural gas service in the San Antonio area, advises having natural gas appliances serviced and repaired by professionals. Disconnecting and capping a gas line is exactly that kind of work. Schedule a qualified professional to disconnect and cap the connection before moving day, and plan the same professional step at the destination before the appliance is used again.
Statewide, the Railroad Commission of Texas oversees the safety of natural gas distribution lines. Gas work sits inside a regulated system, not inside general handiwork.
If you ever smell gas during the process, leave the building immediately without operating switches or electrical devices, then call 911 and CPS Energy from another location. Nothing about a moving schedule outranks that rule.
Measure the path each appliance will travel
An appliance that fit through the door on delivery day does not automatically fit out again. Furniture gets added, railings get installed, and the route people remember is rarely the route that exists. Measure each unit's height, width, and depth, then measure every doorway, hallway, stair turn, and gate between it and the truck at both addresses.
Send numbers rather than impressions. A measured door width is a plan; a guess is a delay waiting to happen. Note the tight spots and whether interior doors, handrails, or appliance doors may need to come off. If the appliances are part of a whole household move, the San Antonio moving services guide shows how appliance work fits into the larger job.
Tell the movers about each unit in advance
List every appliance that travels: the type, the brand if you know it, where it sits in the house, and what has or has not been disconnected. Flag anything with a water line, anything that runs on gas, and anything stacked, built in, or trimmed into cabinetry. Built-in units raise uninstallation questions that are much better asked early than discovered on the day.
This is exactly the detail that makes an appliance movers request reviewable before anyone commits to a plan. If the appliances ride along with a full household, the same list joins the bigger inventory; the residential movers page covers how whole-home jobs are scoped.
The week-before checklist
Run this list in the final week so nothing is discovered on moving day.
- Empty the refrigerator and freezer completely, including the door shelves and the ice bin.
- Unplug the refrigerator with the doors open early enough for the interior to dry fully.
- Close the supply valve and drain the line for any ice maker or water dispenser.
- Close both washer valves, then disconnect, drain, and bag the hoses with their fittings.
- Find the washer's transport bolts, or note for the movers that the drum is unsecured.
- Schedule a qualified professional to disconnect and cap any gas appliance before the crew arrives.
- Unplug the electric dryer, detach the vent, and clear the lint from the run behind it.
- Measure each appliance and every doorway, hall, and turn on its path at both homes.
- Write up the appliance list, note what has been disconnected, and send it with your estimate request.
Where Pro Alliance fits
Which units need disconnection shapes the whole plan, and any gas appliance means a qualified professional gets involved before move day. List every unit, note anything built in or stacked, and add path measurements, both addresses, and the target dates. The review runs through the appliance movers service, and the free estimate form takes the full list.
Frequently asked questions
Do movers disconnect gas appliances?
No. Disconnecting and capping a gas line is work for a qualified professional, and CPS Energy advises having natural gas appliances serviced and repaired by professionals. Schedule that visit before moving day, and plan the reconnection at the destination the same way. The crew moves the appliance after the line has been disconnected and capped.
How long does a refrigerator need to defrost before moving?
Long enough to be completely dry inside, which depends on the model and how much frost has built up. Check the owner's manual for the manufacturer's transport guidance, and start well before moving day rather than the night before. A refrigerator that is still wet inside can leak in the truck and arrive with odor and mildew problems.
Can a refrigerator be laid down in the truck?
Follow the manufacturer's guidance for your model, because designs differ and many manuals address transport position directly. Tell the movers what the manual says, and let the crew plan the loading position and the securing around it. If the manual is gone, manufacturers publish them online by model number.
What should I do with washer hoses and appliance cords?
Drain the hoses fully, bag them with their fittings, and keep small parts where they cannot disappear into a random carton. Coil each cord, secure it to the appliance body, and label anything that comes off. Carry irreplaceable hardware in your own vehicle instead of loading it on the truck.
Who reconnects everything at the new home?
Electric appliances can be plugged in once they are in place, following the manufacturer's guidance on settling time for refrigerators. Water connections should be checked for leaks after the first use. Gas appliances need a qualified professional to reconnect and check the line before use, the same rule that applies to disconnection.