Appliance Movers in Montreal

Appliance moving in Montreal, done the right way up

A refrigerator is one of the heaviest things in a home, but weight is not what usually goes wrong. Fridges get laid on their side and stop cooling properly. Washers travel with their drum loose and arrive with a damaged suspension. Stove doors open on the stairs and bend their hinges. Dryer vents get crushed against a wall. Floors get gouged by a dolly with no protection under it. And in Montreal, where so many kitchens are on the second or third floor of a plex, at the top of an outdoor staircase with a turn on every landing, appliances are also where most of the scratched railings and dented walls come from.

This page is for anyone who needs appliances moved: as part of a full household move, on their own from one apartment to another, from a store or a seller to your home, or out of a home when you are replacing them. It explains how each kind of appliance should be moved, what you need to do before we arrive, what we do and what a technician must do, how the price works, and what happens to your old appliance.

Our movers handle refrigerators, freezers, ranges and wall ovens, cooktops, washers, dryers, stacked laundry centres, dishwashers, wine fridges, chest freezers and commercial units. Every truck carries the dollies, straps and padded covers for them, and for large commercial fridges we bring a commercial fridge dolly when you tell us ahead of time.

Is this the right service for you?

You are in the right place if one of these sounds like your situation:

• You are moving and your lease includes no appliances — very common in Montreal, where many tenants own their fridge and stove and take them from apartment to apartment.
• You bought a fridge, a washer or a range from a store, a scratch-and-dent outlet or a private seller, and delivery is not included, costs extra or will not go up your stairs.
• You are replacing appliances and need the new ones carried in and the old ones taken away.
• You are renovating a kitchen or a laundry room and the appliances have to come out, wait somewhere and go back in.
• You are a landlord or a property manager moving appliances between units or replacing them between tenants.
• You run a restaurant, a café or a small business and need a commercial fridge, a freezer or a range moved.

If you only need two people to carry an appliance into a truck you already rented, our labour-only movers are the cheaper option. If the appliance is part of a whole home, it simply goes on your local move at the same hourly rate.

Why appliances are harder to move than they look

A refrigerator is tall, top-heavy, slippery and has no good place to hold. A standard top-freezer model weighs roughly 150 to 250 pounds; a large French-door or side-by-side fridge with an ice maker often weighs 250 to 350 pounds, and a commercial two-door unit can weigh considerably more. A front-load washer has a concrete counterweight inside it and usually weighs 150 to 230 pounds. A range is lighter but has a glass top or a door that opens the moment it tilts.

The real risks are specific:

• The cooling system. A fridge or freezer contains compressor oil and refrigerant. Lying it down can let oil migrate into the lines, which is why fridges travel upright and why a fridge that was laid down needs time standing before it is switched on.
• The washer drum. The drum of a front-load washer hangs on springs and shock absorbers. Bounced around in a truck without its transit bolts, it can damage its own suspension.
• Doors and glass. Fridge doors, oven doors and glass cooktops are the parts that break. They have to be secured before the appliance tilts, not after.
• Water. A washer that was not drained, a fridge with a full ice-maker line or a dishwasher with water in its sump will leak on the stairs, in the truck and onto your other belongings.
• Floors and walls. An appliance dolly concentrates the whole weight on two small wheels. Without floor protection, it marks hardwood and vinyl; on a staircase, a fridge at an angle reaches the walls and railings first.

None of this is exotic. It just has to be done every time, by a crew that knows each step.

How we move each kind of appliance

Refrigerators and freezers

We move fridges and freezers upright. Before the fridge moves, the doors are held shut with stretch wrap or a strap — never tape on the finish — shelves and drawers that could slide are removed or secured, and the cord is tied to the back. The unit is wrapped in padded covers so the finish and the door handles are protected.

On stairs, the fridge is carried on lifting straps: two movers, one above and one below, take the weight on straps across their forearms or shoulders, so the fridge stays upright and under control and nothing rolls on the steps. On flat floors, through hallways and up the truck ramp, it rides on an appliance dolly with ratchet straps. When a fridge is too wide or too deep for a turn, removing its doors often gains the few centimetres needed; we measure before we try, not halfway up. In the truck, the fridge stands against a wall, strapped, and nothing heavy is placed against its doors.

Fridges with an ice maker or a water dispenser are connected to a water line. That line has to be shut off and disconnected before the move, and reconnected after — usually a quick job, but one that involves plumbing and is yours or a plumber’s to do. A chest freezer is moved the same way as a fridge: empty, defrosted, lid secured, upright.

Ranges, stoves and wall ovens

An electric range is unplugged from its 240 V outlet, the oven racks and drawer are removed or secured, the door is held shut with stretch wrap and the glass top is covered. Anti-tip brackets — the small metal bracket at the back that keeps a range from tipping — are removed with the range and should be reinstalled at the new address. Ranges travel upright and padded.

Gas ranges are a different matter. In Quebec, disconnecting and connecting a gas appliance is work for a certified gas technician. We do not touch the gas line. Book your technician to disconnect the range before we arrive and to reconnect it after we have placed it; we can plan our arrival time around theirs.

Wall ovens and built-in cooktops are usually hard-wired to the electrical panel and fixed into cabinetry: an electrician disconnects them before the move and reconnects them after. Built-in and panel-ready fridges are held by brackets and trim; if they come out with a few screws, we do it, and if it takes cutting trim or carpentry, it needs to be done before the move by whoever is doing the kitchen.

Washers and dryers

Front-load washers should travel with their transit bolts — the long bolts that came with the machine and lock the drum in place. If you still have them, we install them before the move. If you do not, we can secure the drum as well as possible, but the bolts are inexpensive and you can order them for your model from the manufacturer. Top-load washers have less risk, but the tub should still be stabilised.

Before the move, the washer has to be drained: the hoses emptied and, on front-loaders, the small drain filter at the bottom opened over a towel. We disconnect and reconnect standard electric washers and dryers when the hoses, the vent and the outlet are in good condition and ready at the new address. A gas dryer is disconnected and reconnected by a gas technician. Stacked washer-dryer pairs are separated before they move and re-stacked with their stacking kit at the new home.

Dishwashers

A built-in dishwasher is connected to the water supply, the drain and usually the electrical supply. Disconnecting it means plumbing and sometimes electrical work, so it is done before the move by you or a technician. Once it is out of the cabinet, we move it upright, padded, with the door secured.

Commercial and oversized appliances

Restaurant fridges, two- and three-door reach-ins, commercial freezers, commercial ranges and large wine cabinets are heavier, larger and often built for a kitchen with a wide door. We ask for photos and the model, check the doors and stairs at both ends, and bring a commercial fridge dolly when it is needed — tell us in advance so it is on the truck. For a business, we can also schedule the move early in the morning or after closing.

Montreal staircases, doors and elevators

Most of our questions about appliances in Montreal are about getting in and out of buildings. Before an appliance move we want to know:

A practical rule: measure the appliance with its doors and handles on, then measure the narrowest point of the route, including the turn at the top of the stairs. If the numbers are close, tell us — removing doors is often the answer, and it is much easier to plan than to discover on a landing.

What you need to do before we arrive

Refrigerator and freezer

1. Empty it completely the day before, including the door shelves and the ice bin.
2. Unplug it and let it defrost: put towels under it and leave the doors open. A frost-free fridge needs a few hours to drain and dry; a chest freezer with thick ice can need a whole night.
3. Wipe it dry inside. Moisture left in a closed fridge smells quickly.
4. Shut off and disconnect the water line if there is an ice maker or a dispenser.
5. Remove or secure glass shelves and loose drawers, or tell us and we will wrap them separately.

Washer

1. Do not run a load the day before, and turn off the water taps.
2. Disconnect the hoses and drain them into a bucket.
3. On a front-loader, open the drain filter over a towel to empty the last water.
4. Find the transit bolts if you still have them.

Stove, dryer and dishwasher

1. Gas appliances: book a certified technician to disconnect them before we arrive.
2. Electric range: clean the oven and remove the racks if you want them packed separately.
3. Dryer: clean the lint filter and keep the vent hose if it is in good condition.
4. Dishwasher: have it disconnected from the water, the drain and the power before the move.

After the move: switching appliances back on

• Fridges and freezers that travelled upright can generally be plugged in soon after they are placed; follow your manufacturer’s instructions, which sometimes ask for a short wait. If a fridge was transported lying down at any point, keep it standing for at least as long as it was on its side before you plug it in. Expect several hours — often up to a day — before it reaches its normal temperature.
• Washers must have their transit bolts removed before the first wash. Running a front-loader with the bolts in can damage it badly. Check that the machine is level and the hoses are tight, then run a short empty cycle and watch for leaks.
• Dryers need a vent that is as short and straight as possible and not crushed behind the machine. A crushed or very long vent is a fire risk and makes drying slow.
• Ranges should have their anti-tip bracket reinstalled.

We place every appliance where you want it and level it with its adjustable feet. If the floor is very uneven, we tell you, and shims can be added.

Taking away your old appliance

When a new appliance replaces an old one, the old one usually has nowhere to go. We can take it away on the same trip. Tell us in advance which appliance is going, so we plan the time and the space in the truck.

Old appliances in Quebec should be recycled, not dumped. Fridges, freezers and air conditioners contain refrigerants that must be recovered by a specialised recycler. On the island of Montreal, refrigerating appliances are not accepted in the regular bulky-item collection and go to an écocentre or another authorised drop-off; across the province, the GoRecycle program runs free drop-off points for large household appliances. We bring the old appliance to a recycling drop-off so it is handled properly.

If your old appliance still works and you would rather sell it or give it to someone, that is often the best outcome of all — we can move it to its new owner instead.

How appliance moving is priced

Appliance moves use the same transparent hourly rates as our local moves:

The hourly time runs from arrival to the last appliance placed. What changes the total is time, and time depends on the number of appliances, the stairs, the distance from the truck and how ready the appliances are when we arrive. An emptied, defrosted, drained fridge goes much faster than one that still has food in it.

Several appliances in one trip are much cheaper per appliance than separate trips. If you are replacing a fridge and a stove, or buying a washer and dryer pair, book them together.

What we do, and what a technician does

Movers move. Some appliance work belongs to licensed trades, and it is worth being clear about it before the day:

We are happy to time our arrival around your technician’s, so the appliance is disconnected when we arrive and reconnected soon after we leave.

Appliances in a renovation

Kitchen and laundry renovations often mean the appliances leave the room for weeks. We can move them out, keep them in storage — doors propped open so they stay dry and fresh — and bring them back when the floor and the cabinets are finished. If the new kitchen has new appliances, we can deliver them and take the old ones away in the same visit.

Appliances for landlords and property managers

Between tenants, appliances move: a fridge from one unit to another, a new range in, an old one out. We can do several units in one visit, with the stairs protected and the hallway clear. If your building has rules about moving hours or elevator use, send them to us and we plan around them.

Why Montreal customers book us for appliances

• Our own crews, never subcontractors. The people who come are our movers, trained on lifting straps, appliance dollies and Montreal staircases.
• The equipment is on every truck. Lifting straps, dollies, ratchet straps, padded covers, stretch wrap and floor protection — and a commercial fridge dolly when you ask for it ahead of time.
• Clear hourly rates. The rate is published, the minimum is published, and there are no stair fees or surprise surcharges for a standard fridge.
• Old appliance removal on the same trip. One visit instead of two.
• Seven days a week. We work every day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., which helps when a delivery has to fit around a work schedule or a technician’s visit.

How to book an appliance move

Send us the list of appliances, the two addresses and a short description of the stairs and doors at each one — a photo of the appliance and of the staircase helps. Mention any gas appliance, any ice-maker line and whether an old appliance is leaving. We reply with the crew, the time we expect and the price basis, and we confirm the date. For heavier items such as safes or gym equipment, see safe and heavy item moving; for everything else in a home, see local moving.

Common appliance moving mistakes

• Laying the fridge down in a pickup truck. It is the most common reason a fridge cools badly after a move. If it has already happened, stand it up and wait before plugging it in.
• Forgetting the transit bolts — or forgetting to remove them. A front-loader moved without bolts can damage its suspension; a front-loader started with the bolts still in can damage itself in one cycle.
• Leaving water in the washer. It ends up on the stairs, in the truck and on the boxes next to it.
• Not measuring the new space. New fridges are often taller and deeper than the old one. Measure the opening, the depth to the counter edge and the clearance the doors need to open fully.
• Moving a gas appliance without a technician. It is not a do-it-yourself job, and it is not a mover’s job either.
• Carrying it alone with a hand truck. A fridge on a two-wheel hand truck without straps is how walls, railings and backs get hurt.