The short answer
Air conditioners contain refrigerant, and the City of Cleveland requires appliances to be drained of coolants and fluids before bulk-week set-out. Federal rules require refrigerant to be recovered before disposal, so for most people that means a technician or a hauler. JunkRabbit prices: $87 for a small window unit, $109 for a large one, $85 for a portable unit and $115 for an outdoor condenser or heat pump.
Window units and old houses
Cleveland's median home was built in 1941, long before central air was standard. A lot of these houses, and especially the upstairs units of doubles, are cooled one room at a time with window units.
That means two things. First, there are a lot of window units in this city, and they wear out. Second, they tend to accumulate: the old one goes to the basement when the new one goes in the window, and after a few summers there are three of them down there next to the furnace.
Where the old units turn up
- Doubles on the west and south sides. In Old Brooklyn / Clark–Fulton (44109) and Slavic Village (44105), more than one home in five is a two-unit building. Each floor usually runs its own window units, so a turnover can leave four or five behind.
- Lakewood walk-ups. A third of Lakewood homes are in buildings of ten or more units, many of them older walk-ups. A large window unit coming down three flights is a two-hands-on-the-rail job.
- University Circle and downtown. In elevator buildings, the move-out rule usually means booking the freight elevator and sending a COI. JunkRabbit emails a building COI within 1 hour.
- Parma and the postwar ring. Brick ranches and bungalows from the 1950s often have central air added later. That leaves an old condenser on a pad plus a couple of window units in the basement from before.
- Newer exurbs. In Avon, where the median home dates to 2001, the job is usually a condenser swap, not window units.
The refrigerant rule
Every air conditioner, window, portable or central, holds refrigerant in a sealed loop. Federal rules require that refrigerant to be recovered before the unit is scrapped or landfilled. It cannot just be vented.
That is why the City's bulk program says appliances must be drained of coolants and fluids, and why Lakewood asks residents to call first about appliances with refrigerant. A window unit on the tree lawn without that step is not a valid set-out.
With a flat pickup, you do not drain anything yourself. Disposal is included in the price.
Prices
| Item | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Window AC Unit (Small, under 8k BTU) | $87 |
| Window AC Unit (Large, 8k+ BTU) | $109 |
| Portable AC Unit | $85 |
| AC Condenser / Heat Pump (Outdoor Unit) | $115 |
| Dehumidifier | $77 |
| Furnace | $131 |
The order minimum is $100, so a single small window unit ($87) is billed at $100. Two is better value:
- Two small window units: $87 + $87 = $174.
- Small + large window unit: $87 + $109 = $196.
- Three window units from the basement: $87 + $87 + $109 = $283.
- Window unit + dehumidifier: $87 + $77 = $164.
A landlord clearing both floors of a double after a tenant leaves might have two small units upstairs, one large unit downstairs and a portable in the basement: $87 + $87 + $109 + $85 = $368.
Central air: the outdoor condenser
If you are replacing central air, the installer normally removes the old condenser. If they did not, or if an old unit is still sitting on a pad beside the garage, it is $115.
Replacing the furnace at the same time? A condenser and a furnace together: $115 + $131 = $246. Book the pickup for after the installer leaves, so everything is already disconnected.
Have an HVAC tech disconnect the electrical before anyone moves a condenser.
Getting a window unit ready
- Unplug it a day ahead. Window units hold condensate water in the base pan. Tip it slightly toward the outside, or over a bucket, so it doesn't drip down the stairs.
- Leave it in the window if you like. Many old Cleveland sash windows are painted shut or have loose ropes, and a unit can be easier to lift out with two people. The crew can take it straight from the window.
- Keep the brackets and accordion panels with it. They go in the same price.
- Close up the window. In October, an open sash is cold air pouring into the room. Have plastic or a storm window ready.
Timing it around Cleveland weather
Most people notice a dead window unit on the first hot week, then do nothing until fall. The better time to clear them is when you take them out of the windows in September or October, before lake-effect snow starts in mid-November and the side door gets harder to use.
If you have been storing old units in the basement, spring thaw from April to June is basement-clearing season anyway. Add them to the list.
Other options
- Sell or give away a working unit. Window units sell well right before the first heat wave. Post it in May, not October.
- Retailer take-back. Some stores take the old unit when delivering a new one. Ask at purchase.
- Bulk week. Only after the refrigerant has been properly recovered.
Otherwise, pick the units on the instant quote, choose a 2-hour window, and the crew carries them out from the basement, the attic or the upstairs bedroom.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a window AC on the tree lawn in Cleveland?
The City requires appliances to be drained of coolants and fluids before bulk set-out. That means the refrigerant has to be recovered first.
How much is AC disposal in Cleveland?
Small window unit $87, large window unit $109, portable $85, outdoor condenser or heat pump $115. Order minimum $100.
Do I need to drain the refrigerant first?
Not for a pickup. Disposal is included in the flat price.
Can you take AC units from the basement?
Yes. Crews carry from any floor, including basements and attics, with no stairs fee.
Will you take the old condenser after a new install?
Yes, $115, once it has been electrically disconnected.
I live in Lakewood. Do I still need to call the city first?
Lakewood asks residents to call first about refrigerant appliances set out at the curb. If the unit goes on a pickup, it never reaches the curb, so the call-first step doesn't apply.