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A public resource guide
Free water heater removal in El Paso, TX
Every free and paid way to get rid of a water heater in El Paso, verified October 2026.
Checked against El Paso Environmental Services
Home › By item › Water heater › El Paso
A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of a water heater in El Paso, verified October 2026.
Checked against El Paso Environmental Services
5
Citizen Collection Stations, free with a recent El Paso Water bill and matching ID
4
free station visits per household per month
8
tires without rims accepted per household per year at the stations
Every route for a water heater in El Paso, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full El Paso guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in El Paso, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
El Paso special collection and Citizen Collection Stations: water heaters
Scheduled pickup; confirm feeA drained water heater is an accepted appliance.
Who qualifies: Households with City of El Paso Environmental Services trash service, billed through El Paso Water. Apartments use private haulers.
How to schedule: Two routes. Scheduled special collection: call Environmental Services at 915-212-6000 or 311 to request a bulky pickup; the city code allows a fee for on-call bulk collection, so confirm the cost when you book. Free route: take items to one of the five Citizen Collection Stations with a recent El Paso Water bill and matching ID, up to 4 visits a month.
Limits: Citizen Collection Stations: free for residents who pay the monthly solid waste fee, 4 visits per month, 8 tires without rims per year. Special collection item lists apply; refrigerators must have refrigerant removed.
Set-out: For a scheduled special collection, items go at the curb in front of your home by 6 a.m. on the day given, 5 feet from carts, mailboxes, meters, cars, and trees, not blocking the sidewalk. Nothing goes out without a scheduled date.
El Paso Citizen Collection Stations: water heaters
Free with water bill and IDAppliances accepted.
Where: Northeast 4501 Hondo Pass, Central 2492 Harrison, Westside 121 Atlantic, Mission Valley 1034 Pendale, Eastside 3510 Confederate
How it works: Free for El Paso residents paying the solid waste fee: bring a water bill dated within 3 months and ID matching the address. Up to 4 visits a month. Household trash, furniture, appliances, tires without rims (8 a year), yard waste, electronics, and household hazardous waste. No contractors or businesses.
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in El Paso: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, covering water heaters, furniture, appliances, and bulk household items within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in El Paso: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
El Paso is one of the few major U.S. cities where curbside bulky item pickup is not free. The City charges $35 for the first 5 cubic yards of curbside bulky service, which creates a real cost barrier for lower-income households and contributes to El Paso’s illegal dumping problem. The good news: El Paso operates five free Citizen Collection Stations where residents can self-haul trash, bulky items, HHW, and electronics at no charge (with a water bill and ID). This guide covers every disposal option for El Paso residents, with specific rules for each pathway.
The El Paso rule for water heaters: A drained water heater is an accepted appliance.
Program basics: Citizen Collection Stations: free for residents who pay the monthly solid waste fee, 4 visits per month, 8 tires without rims per year. Special collection item lists apply; refrigerators must have refrigerant removed. For a scheduled special collection, items go at the curb in front of your home by 6 a.m. on the day given, 5 feet from carts, mailboxes, meters, cars, and trees, not blocking the sidewalk. Nothing goes out without a scheduled date.
What the city will not take: Tires (curbside), compressed gas cylinders, titled vehicles and trailers, commercial material, and recyclables. Refrigerators and freezers are accepted only clean, odor-free, doors off, with refrigerant removed.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of El Paso Environmental Services: Special Collections (bulky item pickups), City of El Paso: Citizen Collection Stations. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why water heaters are different from ordinary bulk. The weight problem is entirely water. People try to tip a tank that has not fully drained and discover that 30 remaining gallons weigh 250 pounds. Sediment at the bottom can also clog the drain valve, leaving the tank heavier than it looks. Flushing with the cold supply on for a minute often clears it.
Three mistakes that get water heaters left at the curb:
Paid options come into play for basement tanks with difficult stairs, heat pump units, and situations where no replacement is being installed.
Self-haul to a transfer station or scrap yard
Free to $15A drained tank lies flat in a pickup bed or a large SUV. Scrap yards take them free; transfer stations may charge a small bulky item fee.
Strap it down. An empty tank rolls.
LoadUp paid water heater pickup
$80+For El Paso households who need same-day or in-home pickup, can’t self-haul to a CCS, have more than 5 cubic yards to dispose of, or want full-service crew-based hauling, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the El Paso area for upfront-priced pickup.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your water heater. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book water heater pickup in El Paso with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside El Paso proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete El Paso junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national water heater disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for El Paso: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does El Paso pick up water heaters for free?
Scheduled special collection, drained, or free at a Citizen Collection Station.
How much does paid water heater removal cost in El Paso?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single water heater pickup in El Paso starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For El Paso households who need same-day or in-home pickup, can’t self-haul to a CCS, have more than 5 cubic yards to dispose of, or want full-service crew-based hauling, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the El Paso area for upfront-priced pickup.
How do I drain a water heater before disposal?
Turn off the gas or the breaker and shut the cold water supply. Connect a garden hose to the drain valve and run it to a floor drain or outside. Open a hot tap upstairs and the T&P valve to let air in. When the flow stops, open the cold supply briefly to flush sediment, then close it and let the tank finish draining. Expect 20 to 40 minutes for a 50 gallon tank.
Can a water heater go out with bulk trash?
In most cities, yes, as long as it is drained. Some cities treat it as an appliance with its own appointment. Check the local rule in the directory below.
Will a scrap yard pay for an old water heater?
Usually a few dollars for the steel, more for a tankless unit with a copper heat exchanger. Most yards require the tank to be fully drained and some ask that the drain valve be removed.
Is there anything hazardous in a water heater?
Standard gas and electric tanks contain no refrigerant or regulated materials. Heat pump water heaters contain refrigerant in the compressor and must be handled like a refrigerator. The glass lining and the magnesium or aluminum anode rod are inert.
Is this El Paso page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full El Paso guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.