Scope of service · Appliances
Do Movers Disconnect Appliances? What Happens With Your Washer, Dryer and Fridge
Moving an appliance is the easy part. What causes almost every appliance problem on move day is the thing attached to it — a water line, a gas line, a hard-wired connection — and who is responsible for dealing with it.
Quick answer
Movers move appliances. The question is the connections. Under LIOO Moving’s terms the default is that our crews do not disconnect or reconnect appliances, water lines, gas lines or electrical equipment, and disconnecting appliances is listed as a customer responsibility. The terms allow for an exception where it is specifically agreed in writing, so if you want it handled, get it onto your written quote rather than mentioning it in passing. Gas is never touched by the crew — that is licensed-technician work. And the terms treat appliances that have not been disconnected differently from ones that have.
Key Takeaways
- LIOO Moving crews move washers, dryers and refrigerators, but under LIOO’s terms they do not disconnect or reconnect appliances, water lines, gas lines or electrical equipment unless that is specifically agreed in writing.
- Disconnecting appliances is listed as the customer’s responsibility. If you want it handled, raise it when you book and check that it appears on your written quote before move day.
- A LIOO crew never works on a gas line. Georgia law classes natural gas piping on the house side of the meter as plumbing, a licensed trade, so book a licensed professional to disconnect a gas dryer or range before the crew arrives.
- “Appliances not disconnected” is on LIOO’s list of excluded damages. Disconnecting an appliance does not insure it: released valuation stays limited and is calculated by weight.
- Appliance makers set their own steps. Whirlpool says to drain a front-load washer’s hoses and have transport bolts fitted, and GE Appliances says to switch a refrigerator off a couple of hours ahead and keep it upright in the truck.
What our terms actually say
Three clauses in LIOO Moving’s Terms of Service govern appliance connections, and they are worth reading together rather than one at a time.
- The default. Movers do not disconnect or reconnect appliances, gas lines, water lines, wall-mounted televisions, fixtures, electronics or mounted items unless specifically agreed in writing.
- The installation clause. LIOO Moving does not install or uninstall washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, ice machines, water lines, gas lines or electrical equipment.
- Your side of it. Customers agree to be packed and ready at the scheduled time and to disconnect appliances, among other move-day responsibilities.
Put plainly: transporting the appliance is our job. Getting it disconnected from the wall, the tap or the gas line is yours, unless something different has been agreed in writing.
Movers are movers. A connection is a trade.
The written exception — and why the words “in writing” matter
The generic version of this advice, repeated across most moving sites, is “movers will never disconnect your appliances.” That is not quite right, and the imprecision costs people.
Our terms create a specific carve-out: the default does not apply where disconnection or reconnection has been specifically agreed in writing. Separately, our moving preparation page asks customers to tell us at booking so that standard washer, dryer and fridge disconnection can be planned into the job.
The conservative reading, and the one to act on
We are not going to tell you that mentioning it on a phone call is automatically the written agreement the terms describe — that is exactly the kind of assumption that falls apart when it matters. Raise it when you book, then check that it appears on your written quote or confirmation before move day. If it is not written down, plan on handling the disconnection yourself or through a technician. This is good practice with any mover, not just us: where a contract carves out an exception “in writing”, the writing is the part that counts.
Why disconnection changes an appliance’s status under the terms
An appliance that is still connected when the crew arrives falls under an exclusion in LIOO Moving’s damage-protection terms. Almost no article on this subject mentions that, and it is the reason disconnection is more than a chore to get out of the way.
Our damage-protection terms carry a list of exclusions — items and situations that limited damage protection does not extend to. “Appliances not disconnected” is on that list, alongside things like unboxed electronics and customer-packed boxes.
Read that precisely, because the precision matters in both directions. It does not mean a disconnected appliance is guaranteed, insured, or covered for its replacement value — released valuation remains limited, calculated by weight, and is not insurance. What it means is narrower and still worth knowing: the terms specifically address the status of an appliance that was not disconnected, and it is not a favorable one. An appliance still plumbed or wired to the wall when the crew reaches it is in a different position from one that was ready.
If you want the full picture of what limited damage protection does and does not extend to, that is the subject of our guide to what movers are actually liable for in Georgia.
Even when the crew does it, the risk sits with you
The installation clause in LIOO Moving’s terms does not stop at saying the crew does not do this work. It goes on to allocate the risk if we do it anyway at a customer’s request: where our crew performs such a task at your request, LIOO Moving is not liable for any resulting damage, and you agree to hold us harmless for damage arising from that request.
That is worth sitting with for a second. Asking the crew to pop a washer hose off on the day is not a small favor with no consequences attached — under the terms you are accepting the outcome. If it is not on your written quote, have it done before the crew arrives. For anything involving a supply line behind a finished wall, a hard-wired unit, or gas, the answer is a technician.
Gas is never the moving crew
There is no version of this where a LIOO crew works on a gas line. Gas appliances must be disconnected by a licensed technician before the crew arrives — we do not touch gas lines, and that is not a preference we will negotiate on the day.
You will also see advice elsewhere suggesting the mover caps the line and a licensed professional finishes the job. Whatever other companies do, that is not our practice: the disconnection and the capping are the technician’s work, completed before we arrive. If your dryer or range runs on gas, book that appointment when you book the move, not the week of.
In Georgia the right person is a licensed plumber or heating-and-air contractor. Georgia’s contractor licensing law, O.C.G.A. § 43-14-2, defines plumbing to include installing, altering or repairing piping and appliances on natural gas piping on the outlet side of the gas meter, which is the house side. Atlanta Gas Light tells customers that only a qualified contractor should inspect or install a gas appliance connector, that the connector should be replaced whenever an appliance is moved from its location, and that shifting a gas appliance even slightly can make an older connector fail. Range makers say the same: Maytag’s installation instructions for freestanding gas ranges require installation and service by a qualified installer, a service agency or the gas supplier. So plan two visits: one to disconnect and cap the line at the old home, and one to fit a new connector and leak-test it at the new one.
Not sure which you have?
Electric dryers use a heavy plug into a dedicated outlet. Gas dryers have both a plug and a gas supply line. If there is a pipe with a shutoff valve behind the unit, treat it as gas and get a technician.
What each appliance is actually attached to
LIOO Moving’s terms name the specific things a moving crew does not install or uninstall — washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, ice machines, water lines, gas lines and electrical equipment. That list maps neatly onto what makes each appliance its own small problem.
| Appliance | What it is connected to | Who handles the connection |
|---|---|---|
| Washing machine | Hot and cold supply lines, a drain, a standard outlet | You, or a technician — unless disconnection is agreed in writing |
| Electric dryer | A dedicated high-voltage outlet, plus a vent | You, or a technician — same rule |
| Gas dryer or gas range | A gas supply line | Licensed technician only. Never the crew |
| Refrigerator | An outlet, and a water line if it has an ice maker or water dispenser | You, or a technician. Empty and defrost it beforehand |
| Dishwasher | Supply and drain plumbing, often hard-wired, usually fixed under a counter | You, or a technician — typically the most involved of the four |
Do you need to drain the washer or defrost the fridge first?
Yes. Draining and defrosting are part of disconnecting, and the appliance makers publish the steps.
- Washing machine. Whirlpool’s instructions for moving a front-load washer say to shut off both water faucets, disconnect and drain the inlet hoses, disconnect the drain hose, and call for service to have new transport bolts installed. Transport bolts lock the drum so it cannot swing in transit. The washer must travel upright.
- Refrigerator. GE Appliances’ refrigerator moving instructions say to switch the refrigerator off a couple of hours before the move so the evaporator can defrost, empty and clean it, and keep it standing upright in the truck. If it has to travel on its side, GE says to turn it off a day ahead and let it drain, then stand it upright for the same length of time before plugging it in, or 24 hours if it was on its side for more than a day.
Steps differ by brand and model, so check the manual for yours.
One practical footnote on weight rather than connections: a single item over 300 pounds carries our $100 specialty-item fee and cannot be taken up or down a full flight of stairs — five steps is the limit. Most household appliances sit under that line, but commercial-grade or oversized units may not. If yours might, say so when you book: an item over 300 pounds is priced and planned around these limits, and nothing over 400 pounds is lifted.
Before the crew arrives
Short version, because the full move-day list lives on our moving preparation page:
- Disconnected and pulled clear, or a technician booked to do it — ideally the day before, not the morning of.
- Refrigerator emptied and defrosting if it is coming with you.
- Gas handled by a licensed technician before move day. No exceptions.
- Hoses, cords and small hardware kept with the unit so nothing is hunted for at the other end.
- Anything agreed about disconnection confirmed in writing on your quote.
An appliance that is still connected when the crew reaches it does not simply get skipped — it becomes time on an hourly clock while everyone works out what to do, and it sits in a worse position under the damage-protection terms than one that was ready.
What to confirm with any mover
Five questions settle how any moving company handles appliances, and they are worth asking before you book:
- Will your crew disconnect or reconnect anything — and if so, is it written on the quote?
- What does the contract say about appliances that are not disconnected when you arrive?
- Do you handle gas at all? (The answer should be no.)
- If your crew does disconnect something at my request, who carries the risk if it leaks?
- Does a heavy unit change the price or the stair plan?
A company that can answer those five in writing before you book is telling you something useful about how the rest of the move will go.
Tell us about the appliances when you book
Say which units are coming, whether anything runs on gas, and whether they will be disconnected before we arrive. It gets planned into the job and written onto your quote instead of becoming a conversation in your laundry room.
Appliance moving questions
Will movers move my washer and dryer?+
Yes. Transporting appliances is standard moving work. What is not standard is the connections: under LIOO Moving’s terms our crews do not disconnect or reconnect appliances, water lines, gas lines or electrical equipment unless it has been specifically agreed in writing, and disconnecting appliances is listed among the customer’s responsibilities. Have the units disconnected and pulled clear before move day, or arrange a technician.
Do movers disconnect a washing machine or refrigerator?+
Not by default. Our terms state that movers do not disconnect or reconnect appliances unless specifically agreed in writing, and separately that LIOO Moving does not install or uninstall washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, ice machines, water lines or electrical equipment. Raise it at booking if you want it handled, and check it appears on your written quote — the exception in the terms is a written one.
Can movers disconnect a gas dryer or gas range?+
No. Gas appliances must be disconnected by a licensed technician before the crew arrives — our crews do not touch gas lines under any arrangement. Book that appointment when you book the move. If there is a pipe with a shutoff valve behind the unit, treat it as gas.
What happens if my appliance is still connected when the movers arrive?+
Two things. It becomes time on an hourly move while it is sorted out, and it sits in a different position under the damage-protection terms: “appliances not disconnected” appears on our list of excluded damages. Disconnecting does not make an appliance guaranteed or insured — released valuation stays limited and is calculated by weight — but an appliance that was ready is not in the excluded category that one still plumbed to the wall is.
What if I ask the crew to disconnect something anyway?+
Our terms address that directly: where our crew performs such a task at your request, LIOO Moving is not liable for any resulting damage and you agree to hold us harmless for damage arising from that request. If it is not on your written quote, have it done before the crew arrives. For anything behind a finished wall, hard-wired, or involving gas, use a technician.
Your next step
Plan the rest of your move
When to bring in the pros: stairs and long carries, heavy or fragile pieces (pianos, safes, glass), a building that requires a COI, or a timeline that slipped. See how a LIOO crew runs it →