Do Removal Companies Disconnect Washing Machines? What to Arrange Before Moving Day

It is one of the most common questions we get in the week before a move: will the movers unplug the washing machine? The short version is that most removal companies, us included, move appliances but do not disconnect them. The work at the wall, whether it is a water valve, a gas bayonet or a cooker switch, is done before the crew arrives, either by you or by the right tradesperson.

That is not a company being unhelpful. Plumbing, gas and electrical work each carry their own risks and, in the case of gas, their own law. This guide sets out who does what for each appliance, what the manufacturers say about getting each one ready, and when to do it, so nothing is still plumbed in when the van pulls up. Our shorter appliance preparation checklist covers the principle; this guide is the detail.

A removal crew's job starts where the appliance stops being part of the house. In practice, that means the crew handles everything from the moment the machine stands free on the floor, and nothing that involves opening a pipe, a gas fitting or a wired connection.

What our crew does

• Pulls a disconnected appliance out from its space, with care for the floor and the worktop
• Wraps it in blankets so the doors, sides and controls are protected
• Carries it to the van, using two people and a sack trolley where the route allows
• Loads it upright where the manufacturer asks for that, and straps it in
• Carries it into the new home and places it in the room you choose, ready for whoever reconnects it

What we do not do

• Turn off or open water valves, or detach supply and drain hoses
• Disconnect, cap or reconnect any gas appliance
• Disconnect or connect a hard-wired cooker, hob or oven
• Remove an integrated appliance from its kitchen housing where that means unscrewing it from the units or the plumbing
• Test an appliance after the move

The line is the same on every booking, whether it is a single washing machine on a man and van job or a full London house removal. It protects you as much as us: if a hose is reconnected badly and leaks into the flat below, you want that connection to have been made by someone qualified and accountable for it, not by a mover in a hurry.

If a removal quote includes disconnection, ask exactly who does that work, whether they are qualified for it, and whose insurance covers a leak afterwards. A line on a quote that says "appliances disconnected" tells you very little on its own.

This table is the plan in one place. The middle columns are the things only you can arrange; the last column is where our crew comes in. Each row is explained further down, with the manufacturer guidance behind it.

If an appliance is staying behind, because it belongs to the landlord or is part of the sale, leave it off your inventory and tell us so. Appliances that appear on the day and were not on the list are one of the most common reasons a move runs over.

A washing machine is the appliance most likely to cause trouble on moving day, for two reasons: it still holds water even after a full cycle, and its drum is designed to move freely on springs. Both have to be dealt with before it travels. Beko's own guide to moving a washing machine and Bosch's user manual set out the same order of work, which is what we suggest you follow.

1. Turn off the water and release the pressure

Bosch's manual begins with turning off the water tap and releasing the pressure in the supply hose. Find the valve on the pipe that feeds the machine, often behind it or under the sink. With it off, the hose can come off without spraying the kitchen.

2. Drain the water that is still inside

Next, Bosch says to drain any residual washing solution, and its draining instructions are worth reading before you start: the manual warns there can be up to 20 litres, says to have a suitable container ready, and warns of the risk of scalding if the machine has just run a hot wash. Let it cool first. On that model, the water comes out through a cap behind the service flap at the bottom front, which is the same place the drain pump is cleaned. Your machine may differ, so use its own manual.

Beko's guide adds the drain hose: put a bucket under it, take it out of the drain, and be ready for spills with towels to mop up. In a London flat, where the machine is often under a worktop in a narrow kitchen, put towels down before you start, not after.

3. Unplug it and detach the hoses

Both manufacturers then say to disconnect the machine from the mains and detach the hoses. Keep the hoses with the machine: tie them to the back with string or tape them in a bag to the top. If the hoses are old, cracked or kinked, this is a good moment to buy new ones for the new home.

4. Refit the transit bolts

This is the step people skip. Bosch's support page explains that a new machine is fitted with a transport lock to protect it against damage in transit, and tells owners to remove it and keep it safe, because it can be used again when they move. Beko's guide says to secure the drum with the transit bolts the manufacturer provided before the move.

On the Bosch model we read, the lower two bolts go back in while a second person pulls the top of the drum forward through the open door and holds it. That is a two-person job on that machine, which is worth knowing before moving day. The number and position of the bolts vary from model to model, so follow your own manual.

5. At the new home

Whoever reconnects it reverses the order: take the transit bolts out, reconnect the hoses, plug it in. Do not run it with the bolts still fitted. Bosch's manual says that after transport, the Drain programme should run before the first wash programme. Beko suggests running an empty cycle to check everything works. Keep the bolts somewhere you will find them for the next move.

Many people bought their machine years ago, or inherited it with a flat, and have no idea where the bolts went. They are usually long bolts with plastic spacers, and they often turn up in a kitchen drawer, in the bag the manual came in, or taped to the back of the machine by a previous owner. Look before you assume they are gone.

If they really are lost, the safest answer is a replacement set made for your model. Note the model number from the label inside the door or on the back, and ask the manufacturer's spares service or an appliance parts supplier. Order early, because a part that arrives the day after the move is no use.

We have not found a manufacturer that approves a substitute for the bolts, so we will not suggest one here. If the bolts cannot be found in time, tell us when you confirm the inventory. The crew will still carry the machine upright and strap it so it cannot shift, but the drum will not be locked, and that is a risk you should know about before the day rather than after it.

If you are moving into a home that already has a washing machine, or your old one is near the end of its life, it may be worth asking whether it is worth moving at all. That is your decision; we will move it either way. Just bear in mind that we do not take away old appliances for disposal.

A dishwasher is simpler than a washing machine: it has no drum to lock. But it holds water in the sump, and that water is the problem. Miele's dishwasher manual, in its section on moving to a new home, says to empty the dishwasher, secure loose parts such as the hoses, cables and cutlery baskets, and move it upright. If that is unavoidable, it can go on its back, but never on its side or on its door, because residual water could leak and cause electrical damage.

That is why our crew loads a dishwasher upright and strapped, never lying down to fit a gap in the van. If your dishwasher is a different make, check its manual for its own transport section; most have one.

Freestanding or integrated?

A freestanding dishwasher slides out once the water is off and the hoses are disconnected. An integrated one is screwed to the worktop and the cabinets around it, and its door is often a kitchen cabinet panel. Taking it out of the housing is closer to a small fitting job than a disconnection. If it is moving with you, book a plumber or kitchen fitter to take it out and put it into the new kitchen, and tell us its measurements so we know it is coming.

When to do it

Run the last load the evening before your last full day, so it is dry by the time you disconnect it. Leave the door slightly open overnight, then dry the inside with a towel before it is wrapped. A dishwasher that travels wet arrives with a smell.

Our quotation terms are specific about fridges and freezers: they must be emptied, defrosted, disconnected and dry before collection. Disconnection is easy, because almost every fridge unplugs. Defrosting and drying take longer than people think, and they are what decide the timing.

Before the move

Beko's guide to moving a fridge says to remove all food, secure the door before moving the appliance, and defrost it if necessary. It says the appliance needs to come up to room temperature first, which may take several hours. Beko does not say how far ahead to start. A freezer with a thick layer of ice will take longer than a frost-free fridge, so switch it off the evening before the move at the latest, with towels and a tray underneath to catch the meltwater, and wipe it dry in the morning.

Eat the freezer down in the fortnight before the move. A full freezer is the hardest thing to deal with on the last evening, and nothing frozen survives a defrost.

In the van

Beko says to make sure the fridge is transported standing up. Bosch's page on transporting a fridge agrees that upright is always best, but says a fridge can go on its side if the process tubes, the ones that carry the refrigerant, are on the upper side. Bosch is firm about one thing: do not transport or lay a fridge or freezer on its back, because that is likely to damage parts even where the damage is not visible.

On our moves, fridges and freezers travel upright and strapped, which is the position both manufacturers prefer.

After the move

This is the part people get wrong, because the instinct is to plug it straight in and restock it. Beko says to leave the fridge standing unplugged and upright for at least 4 hours before switching it on, so the compressor oil can settle. Bosch says a minimum of 3 hours, and 24 hours if the appliance has been lying on its side for more than a day. Beko adds that cooling to a temperature safe for food can take up to 12 hours.

In practice, that means the fridge goes into its space as soon as it comes off the van, waits until the evening, and is switched on before you go to bed. Food goes back in the next morning. Plan the first night's meals around that.

An American-style fridge freezer is the appliance most likely to not fit, rather than the one most likely to break. They are wide, deep and heavy, and London flats are full of narrow hallways, tight stair turns and kitchen doors that were never meant for them. Measure the fridge freezer's width, depth and height, then the narrowest point of the route at both ends: the front door, any inner doors, the stair turns, and the lift if there is one. The method is the same as for a sofa, and what to do when a sofa won't fit explains how to measure a route properly.

Some models allow the doors to come off, which makes the body narrower for a tight doorway. Whether yours does, and how to do it safely, is in its manual; do not guess. That is a job for you or an appliance engineer before the move, not one for the crew on the day.

If yours has a plumbed water or ice supply, that is plumbing, and the same rule applies as for a washing machine: turn off the supply and disconnect it, or book a plumber. Empty and dry the water tank and ice tray too.

Our quotation terms ask you to tell us about oversized items before the date, and they say what happens if one cannot go the normal way: "If an item cannot be moved safely through the normal access route, AFS Removals may require the item to be dismantled, may recommend a specialist lifting service, or may decline to move the item." We do not lift appliances through windows. If the route looks too tight, send photos and measurements, and we will tell you before the move rather than on the doorstep.

Cookers are where the rules matter most, because the risk is not a wet floor.

Gas cookers and hobs

The law is clear. The GOV.UK register of regulated professions says that registering with Gas Safe Register is a legal requirement for anyone carrying out gas work in the UK, under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. The Health and Safety Executive says anyone employed to work on gas appliances in domestic premises must be a Gas Safe registered engineer, that registered engineers carry ID cards showing which appliances they are qualified to work on, and that you can check the engineer or business on the Gas Safe Register website.

So a gas cooker that is moving with you needs a Gas Safe registered engineer to disconnect it and make the old supply safe, and another, or the same one, to connect it at the new home. Which? puts it simply: gas ovens must be left to the professionals. Book the engineer as soon as your date is fixed, because a cooker still connected when the crew arrives will stay where it is. Check the engineer's ID card when they arrive, and look at the back of it for the type of work they are qualified for.

Hard-wired electric cookers

Which? says most new electric ovens are hard-wired rather than plugged in, and that any change to the wiring needs someone certified through a Competent Person Scheme. It also warns against cutting the plug off an appliance to hard-wire it. Which? says removing a built-in electric oven is fairly straightforward for someone competent at DIY with electrical experience, and to call an electrician if you are not totally comfortable. If you have to ask whether you are comfortable, book the electrician.

Plug-in cookers, microwaves and small appliances

A freestanding cooker with a normal plug, a microwave or a countertop oven is yours to unplug. Clean it, take out loose shelves and trays and pack them separately, and leave it ready by the door or in its space. The crew wraps and carries it like any other item.

Appliances are among the heaviest things in a home, and none of them can be carried safely by one person. A washing machine, a fridge freezer or a cooker is always a two-person carry on our moves. That matters most in London, where so many moves start or finish above the ground floor.

Our stair charge is the same for an appliance as for anything else: from the first floor up, £10 per person, per flight, per hour, for the time the team spends at that address. A floor is 2 flights. For two movers on a second floor with no lift, that is £80 an hour; on a fourth floor, £160 an hour. A 1-bedroom flat on a second floor, loaded in our usual 2 hours, adds £160 for the stairs. The ground floor is free, and a working lift that takes the item removes the charge. How the stairs charge works explains it in full.

Check the lift before you count on it. A lift that takes boxes may not take a fridge freezer standing upright, and an appliance that has to lie down to fit is an appliance that has to stand for longer afterwards. If your building has a goods lift that needs booking, how to book a goods lift has a timeline and an email to send.

Moving just one appliance

Sometimes the appliance is the whole job: a washing machine from a flat to a new place across town. As an example, assume 1 hour of carrying in total with easy access at both ends; that is our assumption, not a fixed figure. With two movers in the Small Transit (SWB) over 4 miles, the work is about 1 hr 15 min, but the 2-hour minimum applies, so it is charged as 2 hours at £75 an hour, plus £1.20 a mile: £154.80 in all, before any stairs. Because the minimum sets the price on a job that small, adding a fridge, a few boxes or a bed to the same trip often costs nothing extra.

Every move we do includes Goods in Transit cover and Public Liability cover. That covers your belongings while we carry and transport them. It does not turn a disconnection into our work, and it does not cover a fault that comes from how an appliance was disconnected or reconnected by someone else, which is another reason to use a qualified person for the work at the wall.

Two of our quotation terms are worth reading with appliances in mind. The first concerns fragile items: "Fragile items, glass, mirrors, televisions and artwork remain subject to the insurer's exclusions and any declared-value requirements. Specialist wooden crating is not included unless agreed in writing." The second concerns packing: "Goods packed by the customer are not covered for loss or damage arising from insufficient, unsuitable or improper packing." For an appliance, "packing" includes the preparation you do: a washing machine moved without its transit bolts, or a fridge still full of food, is not prepared the way its manufacturer says it should be.

Cover limits, exclusions and claims terms are not published on the website — ask our team for the policy detail that applies to your move. If you have an expensive or new appliance, it is also worth checking whether your own home contents insurance covers it during a move.

Everything included with every booking:

• Goods in Transit cover. Included on every move, not sold as an add-on.
• Public Liability cover. In place on every job, at home or at work.
• Our own crew. Every mover is employed by AFS. We never pass your move to a subcontractor.
• One named coordinator. Your single point of contact, from the quote to the last box.

These are real bookings from our records whose inventory listed a fridge or a washing machine, anonymised to the area. Most are outside London, because the appliance was only recorded on some bookings. The prices are what customers booked at the time under our earlier pricing, a price for a time slot, so read them for the van, crew and time those homes needed, not as today's rates. Miles are the straight-line distance between the two postcode areas, not the road distance.

The pattern is consistent: an appliance was part of a normal home move, carried by two people, inside the time booked for the rest of the load. None of those moves needed a bigger crew because of the washing machine. What decides whether an appliance slows a move down is whether it is ready: disconnected, drained, defrosted and dry when the team walks in.

Most of the appliance work belongs to the last two days. This is the order we suggest. It assumes a move on a weekday morning; shift it if yours is later in the day.

For the rest of the move-day timeline, completion day removals covers keys, waiting time and what to do if the chain runs late, and the London moving checklist covers the weeks before.

When you ask for a quote, list each appliance that is moving, and say whether it is freestanding or integrated, and whether it will be disconnected before we arrive. Mention an American fridge freezer by name, with its measurements, and photos of the narrowest point of the route if you can. Tell us about anything staying behind too.

That one list lets us plan the right van, the right number of people and the right time, and it means nobody finds a plumbed-in machine on the morning of the move. Whether it is a single appliance on a man and van job or a whole home, our London house removals team builds the quote from it and confirms the final price in writing.