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A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of a water heater in Jacksonville, verified October 2026.
Checked against Jacksonville Solid Waste
5 cu yd
bulk per week, weekly or every other week depending on your service area
630-CITY
to schedule appliance and tire pickups, or myjax.custhelp.com
4
tires per scheduled pickup, with or without rims
Every route for a water heater in Jacksonville, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Jacksonville guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Jacksonville, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Jacksonville curbside household bulk collection: water heaters
Free, with a step firstA water heater is an appliance for the scheduled pickup. Drain it first.
Who qualifies: Houses with City of Jacksonville residential collection. Apartment complexes are commercial accounts and use their own haulers.
How to schedule: No appointment for ordinary bulk. In areas without automated carts (City and Meridian Waste areas) bulk is collected weekly with garbage; in automated-cart areas (Waste Pro) it is every other week. Appliances and tires are the exception: schedule those by calling 630-CITY (904-630-2489) or at myjax.custhelp.com.
Limits: 5 cubic yards per week, about 30 full 32-gallon bags. Tires are limited to 4 standard vehicle tires per scheduled pickup.
Set-out: Curbside between 5 p.m. the day before and 6 a.m. on collection day, at least 3 feet from carts and away from mailboxes and cars.
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 Jacksonville: 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 Jacksonville: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Jacksonville is the largest city by land area in the contiguous United States, 757 square miles, and that scale shapes how trash collection works here. Bulk pickup is weekly with no appointment needed for most items, but appliances and tires require scheduling. This page walks through every option in order from free to paid, with the specific rules that apply across Duval County.
The Jacksonville rule for water heaters: A water heater is an appliance for the scheduled pickup. Drain it first.
Program basics: 5 cubic yards per week, about 30 full 32-gallon bags. Tires are limited to 4 standard vehicle tires per scheduled pickup. Curbside between 5 p.m. the day before and 6 a.m. on collection day, at least 3 feet from carts and away from mailboxes and cars.
What the city will not take: Household hazardous waste of any kind (illegal in the residential stream under city code), appliances and tires without a scheduled pickup, and anything from a business.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Jacksonville Solid Waste: Service Standards, City of Jacksonville Solid Waste Collection Quick Reference Guide, City of Jacksonville: Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Jacksonville. Jacksonville operates a year-round Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 2675 Commonwealth Avenue (Tuesday-Saturday 8 AM to 5 PM, 904-387-8847). The HHW Facility accepts oil-based paints and stains, motor oil (limit 27 gallons per 30 days), pesticides, pool chemicals, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, antifreeze, full aerosol cans, propane tanks, and electronics. Maximum 3 CRT monitors per visit. Several retailers also offer ongoing free recycling: Home Depot for batteries and CFL bulbs, AutoZone for motor oil and car batteries, Best Buy for electronics, and most pharmacies for unused medications.
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 households who need same-week service or live in apartment buildings over 4 units, LoadUp offers professional removal in Jacksonville with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
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 Jacksonville with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Jacksonville proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Jacksonville pick up water heaters for free?
Yes, drained, after scheduling through 630-CITY.
How much does paid water heater removal cost in Jacksonville?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single water heater pickup in Jacksonville starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who need same-week service or live in apartment buildings over 4 units, LoadUp offers professional removal in Jacksonville with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
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 Jacksonville page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Jacksonville guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.