Allegheny County residents can get their old, broken and unwanted appliances containing freon gas — including refrigerators, dehumidifiers, freezers, air conditioners and water coolers — picked up curbside and recycled for free. Normally, getting an appliance drained of freon and certified costs about $50.  Pittsburgh trash haulers haven’t picked up refrigerators and other freon-containing appliances, drained or not, since 1991.

The Allegheny County Health Department program is funded by a $150,000 grant from the county’s Clean Air Fund and will continue until the money runs out.

To do this year’s pickups, the health department program has contracted with Appliance Warehouse, which can make pickups countywide, and Parkway Heating & Air Conditioning in 24 municipalities in the southern and western parts of the county.

Appliance Warehouse will also collect appliances that do not contain freon, including stoves, washers and dryers, for free, but only if they are put on the curb with a freon-containing appliance.

Only household appliances, not industrial or commercial appliances, are eligible. Allegheny County residents can register for the appliance pickup service by calling Appliance Warehouse at 1-888-463-7366 or Parkway Heating & Air Conditioning at 412-279-6001.

We have been told that the pick-up day for Polish Hill is February 19th, so call now and get your name on the list.  You must have the appliance(s) on the curb by 9 am the day of pickup.

Read the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article by Don Hopey, Monday, February 09, 2009