How To Move a Refrigerator By Yourself Step-by-Step Guide

Having decided on moving a fridge, think of no magical trick. You’ll have to go through an ordeal in this particular case. You know, a fridge is a big thing enough to move. An old one may be heavier than a newer one, yet any of these would surprise your back with their total mass for you to move by yourself, going up- and downstairs, turning right and left and trying to keep yourself straight and brave enough to go to the end. Again, we bet you value your own fridge. In the end, it simply costs! No one would move a costly property item with no effort taken. So, get prepared to work hard from the very start. However, here we are going to give you some cost-free hints on how to do the hard job with ease, and, finally, to achieve the purpose that is to move your refrigerator by yourself yet properly.

No doubt moving your refrigerator by yourself will seem less expensive than you’d spend on a team of professional movers. It’s odd people think of this operation as a piece of cake. Why not do it by ourselves folks? How can it be we are not a proper bunch of smart guys to move our refrigerator between homes? No way, folks, we are not going to hire any professionals here. Let’s do it, guys! Let’s move! This is a supposed talk between a family member group daring to dive into their adventure with a fridge, having no huge experience of moving refrigerators the right way. You say nonsense? Now and then lots of individuals dare doing the same thing. And you know what? Chances are they succeed. As long as you follow the rules, in other words the steps, the right steps to move a refrigerator, the task will finally prove 100 percent feasible.

Cases are, you’d better rely the task upon a professionally trained team of expert movers. It may depend either on your specifics, or the risk of personal injury or the risk to the property is too high. There are also situations you may find yourself in, your personal safety and the whole situation will never finally pay back the effort or the risks. If you are still in doubt, you can use online moving estimate calculator for ease of calculation.

With this, we are tending to equip you with a valid Refrigerator Moving Guide, or a manual, instruction of how to do this less risky, should you feel uncertain or like being reluctant of calling some moving company to order their fridge moving service.

Well, suppose you have to move it. And it should be moved right now, from, say B to C. Or even further, and there will be a D after that C… So great, and now take your time to plan a little bit. You need to come up with a plan, like a list or description, a write-up or something. All these are for your control of the situation. You also need some list of the equipment needed to facilitate your effort and do that efficiently. To move your fridge and not to become a laughing stock for the entire neighborhood, or lose your temper, or, what is even worse, lose your property, or put it in danger, you need guts. Whatever you might be supposed to lose, we should stress here for one more time, you would be on the safe side of all this if a certified movers team, bla bla bla, etc., etc., etc… But we know, this is not your side of the street. All right. Let us simply guide you through all the steps, and let you learn the right way of moving a fridge from home to home, homestead to homestead, office to office, door to door, yet better residentially than interstate, yeah. Easy come, easy go, you know. Well, we’ve come to the start, and here goes our free step-by-step guide to help you move it.

Note, it is a hundred percent free guide and works for a hundred occasions of the kind, no matter how far you have to travel with your fridge resting on your back.

Oh yeah, sure, that’s only as far as you put it into a van or a truck, or on a cart, or…

Well, we are going to make our long story short.

This is the Guide we are talking about.

Planning your trip make sure you’ve secured the following:

• Panels of plywood
• Sliders like furniture ones
• A dolly and some straps to go with it
• X-Acto knife & measuring tape
• Scotch tape or/and rope
• Comfortable trainers to go around
• Blankets to move on
• A screwdriver and/or a drill
• A couple of mates to share the excitement and the experience with

Step One. An Empty Refrigerator

Now it is no rush to pull your fridge up and bring it downstairs at a winkle of an eye.

It is high time to check if you’ve defrosted the fridge. Make sure you take all the edibles and all the contents just out and away from it. No need to step around on yogurt packs and your last year’s art collection. Just put foodstuffs into a cooler, better discard your art collection then. Joking. No hard feelings. Just make sure you have enough ice to store your food properly until the end of your move. And yes, you’d better plan well, and eat it up not later than a week before the event. This will keep you hungry enough to proceed, as well as your fridge empty enough for you to make no fuss about foods spoiled or defrosted. Clean all the surfaces well and properly, in most cases it will require some reasonable (!) amount of soda mixed in water. You will also have to melt down all the ice left on the walls, better do that with a hairdryer borrowed from your wife. It can be your very own dryer, doesn’t matter that much, of course. Just a dryer. And again, polish it all with fresh clear water. Use some duster or so for soaking it in the water. Make sure you are using just a small amount of water. Your duster may be large. Before starting, check for the leaks. No leaks from the fridge should be discovered. Now the thing is half-ready.

And yes, prior to all the above, turn your refrigerator off. It’s better to be off for at least several hrs before moving!

Step Two. Disconnect the Fridge

Here you need to follow the user manual and properly disconnect the fridge. The cord should be taped to the back of your fridge to prevent it from getting on the way. Choose to remove the doors as per user manual or just secure them with cords/rope. Should there be any screws or parts/pieces dismantled, keep these in a secure container (probably a bag).

Step Three. Before to Move the Refrigerator

To move the refrigerator you are undertaking to move just in safety, it should now be wrapped in blankets you’ve stocked for that. Use any other stuff to prevent it from damage or any negative impact while on the move.

Useful Tip: Make sure you’ve removed all the glass-like objects from inside your fridge (shelves etc.) before setting off. If there are drawers, secure them by tape in place for a long ride.

Step Four. Figure Out Your Tactics

Make all the measurements of your fridge and the doorway to pass trough, put it all down on paper thus planning your next step.

Should you be “lucky” to have your doors narrow while your fridge is huge, you’ll have to remove the doors first before the start. There are cases both doors on your fridge and your doorway need to be removed for a successful escape through. Make some math, calculating your fridge’s overall parameters before your next move. Imagine you and your helpers going through your doorway, figure out the route and the strategy for each situation, consider your options, create a plan, then share it with your mates. If agreed, go on, and Godspeed to you!  

Remember there is no fun less than when you are pushing your fridge on a dolly through a doorway that would never fit your overall parameters due to the huge fridge, wider than doorway a couple of times or so!

Step Five. Remove Any Obstacles

Stick to your plan. Seek to remove any obstacles to disturb your moving. Nothing should get in the way. If your stair railings get in the way and do not fit, well, let them be removed either. Remove your furniture from the way, send your cat to your mother, if no cat, then ask your relatives to go away so you have a clear walking passage until your truck/van or any other moving vehicle that matches the task.

Step Six. Moving the refrigerator

Dolly time has come. Slide now your fridge out to put it onto the dolly. Strap it on. We do know there are wheels in most fridges, we mean to slide it on the wheels forward will be no problem for your team. Proceed with straps safely, lifting your fridge back a bit up and forward to position your sliders just beneath the back of it. After you’re finished with that, position yourself at the front of your refrigerator to push it side to side and guiding your fridge forward at the same time.

Useful Tip: Pulling your fridge forward, try to back, while keeping your knees slightly bent, as straight as you can.

If it is all right, and there are at least two hands available on the scene to assist you, have one of them lift it slightly, and the other one should move the dolly underneath your fridge, just under one side of it. Never allow pushing dolly onto either the front of a fridge or the back of it! When finished, fix your fridge with dolly straps.

Now tilt the fridge slightly back, and then move it carefully and very slowly, back again. This operation you have to complete with your fridge evenly resting on the dolly. Do not ever tip your fridge back more than up to 45 degrees! Move the dolly down your stairs, one per time, while having someone at the bottom to help you guide and down it at the same time. Going downstairs remember to take all the required precautions and observing all the related safety rules. All the time the fridge is moved downstairs, one person has to guide it with the dolly while another one stands below it.

Useful Tip: you have to pull the dolly down a step at a time rather than pulling it all downstairs at once! Carefully pull it down toward you, and at the same time keeping it 45 degrees tilted angle. The one who stands at the bottom should take control and watch the fridge being all the time like positioned toward the back of the dolly. No jutting forward should have a place here folks! It’s serious.

Step Seven. Fridge & Car

You’re nearly finished! Now you are to move your refrigerator right into the transporting vehicle. Your team should use a plank to guide the fridge along it rather than lift it up by yourselves.

Step Eight. Secure Fridge Inside the Truck

Next, you need to properly secure your big thing inside the truck.

Useful Tip: Better avoid laying the fridge on its side; a fridge should be secured with extra straps. These are to be positioned alongside and on top. A good idea will be here to leave the fridge on the dolly until the final destination.

Step Nine. After You Move the Refrigerator

Nearly final. Well guys, here you are at last. Shake hands with your brave assistants, go fetch a beer or a cola to celebrate your success, if it is your pleasure to do like that. Now it is time to complete your last planned action.

Step aside, here you have to wait for a while before plugging in your fridge. It will be no smart idea to put any food inside of it right now, just upon arrival to your final destination. Keep quiet and calm. Soon it will be the end.

You’d better wait for about two hours before you plug it back in. Anyway, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as for the relocation and re-starting your fridge to do everything the right way and make no harm to your property or yourself. Eating out will be a perfect idea since you are supposed not to add food to your fridge for at least another 24 hours. There are cases you’ll have to wait for 72 hours. It depends.

Caution: Your fridge should be stored in an upright position!

Check a dolly appliance for the balanced weight on it before any movement!

Moving a fridge upstairs will require one more person to stand at the bottom and pull the dolly up step by step in no hurry!