First isolate power or gas and water, then cool and drain it before sending it for scrap metal recycling: ask your installer about haul-away, or use your city's appliance pickup or transfer station. Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale and Chandler all accept water heaters. Do not leave one in an alley, a vacant lot or the trash bin.
What is the easiest way to get rid of an old water heater?
Ask whoever installs the new one whether they haul the old one away. If you are hiring out the replacement, this is usually the simplest route, and it is worth asking before the job starts so nobody is surprised on install day.
If you are swapping it yourself, or your installer does not take it, use your city's program. Each Valley city sets its own rules, and they differ on the day, the fee and how the pickup is scheduled.
How do you get a water heater ready to move?
Use the model's shutdown and draining instructions. Isolate and verify the electrical supply or shut down the gas appliance as directed before draining; allow the water to cool and route discharge safely. Bradford White's linked article describes draining for service, including a pilot setting on some gas models. A pilot setting is not a complete shutdown for disconnecting and removing the heater. Have a qualified professional disconnect and cap gas piping or handle electrical connections as required.
Hot water can scald, so let the tank cool if you can and route the hose somewhere safe. Cities also want appliances empty. Phoenix's pickup instructions say to ensure all appliances are empty, and Mesa says an appliance that is not completely empty will not be picked up and a trip fee will be assessed.
What about the gas and electric connections?
Turn off the power at the breaker and the gas at the shutoff, and let a licensed plumber handle anything that involves the gas piping itself. Turning a valve is a homeowner job. Capping or reworking gas piping is not. Our page on how to turn off the gas to your house covers the shutoff, and who can install gas lines in Arizona explains the licensing side. If you smell gas at any point, get out and follow what to do when the house smells like gas.
A tank is heavy and awkward on stairs or through a garage door, and it is worse with water still in it. Drain it first, get a helper, and use a dolly. That is a safety step, not a courtesy.
Where can you take an old water heater in Phoenix?
Phoenix takes water heaters through appliance recycling, either as a transfer station drop-off or a scheduled curbside pickup. The city's Appliance Recycling page lists water heaters among the non-refrigerant appliances it accepts. Here is what that page says:
- Transfer station drop-off. Residential solid waste customers can drop off up to 1 ton per month in the same visit at no cost, under the city's eligibility rules, with additional disposal fees of $55.00 per ton (minimum $40) beyond that.
- Scheduled curbside pickup. A pickup of up to five non-refrigerant appliances is a charge of $30.00 on your city services bill. Call the Public Works Customer Care Center at 602-262-6251.
- Placement. Put empty appliances in front of the property just behind the sidewalk, or behind the curb if there is no sidewalk. Do not place them in the alley or in a garage or carport.
Bulk trash is a different program. Phoenix's Bulk Trash page lists metal in excess of 20 pounds or over four feet long among the items it will not collect, so a water heater goes through the appliance program instead. The city sends recycled appliances to a scrap metal dealer, and its page says revenue from scrap sales goes to the Solid Waste Fund. Fees change, so confirm on the city page or by phone before you schedule.
What do Mesa, Scottsdale and Chandler say?
All three list water heaters as accepted, each with its own process.
| City | What the city page says | How to schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Mesa | Curbside appliance collection includes water heaters. For Mesa trash and recycling customers, appliances without refrigerant are $19.00 each. Appliances must be empty. | Online request or 480-644-6789 |
| Scottsdale | On the last Thursday of every month, the city hauls away major appliances including water heaters, for residential customers. | Online request through the city's Appliance Collection page |
| Chandler | Bulk pickup accepts large and small appliances such as water heaters. The first four bulk pickups or collection center visits per calendar year are free. | 480-782-3510 or the Bulk Request Form, 7 to 14 days notice online |
Mesa also lists an alternative: residents may drop appliances at the Household Hazardous Materials Facility at no charge, limit two appliances per day. Other Valley cities and unincorporated areas run their own programs, so check your city's solid waste page or call. A homeowners association or multi-unit property can change who handles trash, so ask your property manager first.
Can you put a water heater in the trash or leave it in an alley?
No. A water heater is too large and too much metal for your trash container, and leaving it out is illegal dumping. Phoenix's Bulk Trash page defines illegal dumping as dumping trash without legal permission at another location, and says that includes appliances left in alleys, dumpsters, vacant lots and open desert. Do not leave it by a wash, in a dumpster you do not own, or at the curb without an appointment.
If the heater still works, donating can beat scrapping. Phoenix's page points to Stardust, which takes working appliances by scheduled pickup. A leaking or failed tank will not qualify.
What about heat pump water heaters?
A heat pump water heater has a refrigerant loop, so ask before you scrap it. ENERGY STAR's heat pump water heater guide describes how the unit's fans pull warm air across a heat exchanger and warm the heat pump's refrigerant. EPA's Section 608 rules prohibit intentionally venting ozone-depleting substances or their substitutes while disposing of air-conditioning or refrigeration equipment. Do not cut into the sealed system. Phoenix's list of refrigerant appliances names air conditioners, freezers and refrigerators, and does not name heat pump water heaters, so call the Customer Care Center or your installer and ask how they want it handled. The same goes for Mesa, Scottsdale and Chandler.
Do you need a permit to replace it?
A licensed contractor's like-for-like swap in a house does not need a Phoenix permit, but other changes do. Our page on whether you need a permit to replace a water heater in Phoenix has the rules. If you are deciding between repair and replacement first, read should I repair or replace my water heater. Once the old unit is out, what size water heater do I need helps with the next one.
HQ is licensed and insured, and gives free estimates and upfront pricing before work starts.