How do you dispose of a water heater in Aurora, IL?

Step-by-step for gas water heater disposal

1. Plumber arrives. Shuts off the gas valve, disconnects and caps the gas line, disconnects water supply lines, opens the drain valve.
2. Tank drains. 30–60 minutes via a garden hose to a floor drain or outside.
3. Junk Nurse arrives (often coordinated to follow the plumber). Two-person crew with appliance dolly.
4. Haul out. Up the basement stairs or out the utility room. Loaded into the truck.
5. Routed to scrap metal recycling. Water heaters are mostly steel, copper, and brass — high scrap value, fully recycled.

For electric water heaters

Simpler because there’s no gas line:

1. Turn off the breaker for the water heater circuit.
2. Shut off the cold water supply valve.
3. Open a hot water faucet somewhere in the house (breaks the vacuum).
4. Attach a hose to the drain valve and drain the tank.
5. Junk Nurse handles the water line disconnect on-site and hauls.

You can also handle the disconnect yourself if you’re comfortable with simple plumbing — turning off valves and disconnecting flexible supply lines. We’ll do it if you don’t.

For tankless water heaters

Same rule as standard tanks: gas line disconnect by a plumber, water/electrical disconnect possible on-site by Junk Nurse. Tankless units are smaller (30–80 lbs vs. 130–180 lbs) and wall-mounted — easier to remove.

Why we can’t do gas work

Illinois requires licensed plumbers for gas line work. Disconnecting a gas line incorrectly can result in a leak that you don’t smell until after we’ve left. We don’t do it because we don’t want to be responsible for a gas issue after we drive away.

Most plumbing companies in the Aurora area can handle water heater disconnect as a standalone job ($100–$200) or as part of a new installation ($150–$350 typical install fee).

Coordinating with your plumber

If you’re replacing your water heater, ask your plumber if they can haul away the old unit as part of the install. Many will offer $50–$100 haul-away. Compare to Junk Nurse’s $75–$150 single-unit pickup — sometimes the plumber is cheaper, sometimes we are.

If you’re not replacing (just disposing of an old tank), call us. We’ll coordinate with whatever plumber you use, or recommend one if you don’t have one.

What if the water heater is in a tight closet?

Closet-installed water heaters require some maneuvering. We’ll tilt and walk it out, often turning sideways through the closet door. Standard residential 40–50 gallon tanks fit through most door widths.

For attic-installed water heaters (rare but exists), we’ll need to assess access. Some require lowering via straps through the attic hatch.

What if there are TWO old water heaters?

Common in duplexes, older Aurora homes converted to two-family use, or large homes with multiple zones. We take both at the same time. $150–$250 typical for the pair.

What about the old furnace too?

If you’re replacing both the water heater and the furnace, we can take both. HVAC tech disconnects the furnace (similar gas line and exhaust considerations), Junk Nurse hauls. Combined pickup volume often makes this cheaper per unit.

For full details, see our water heater removal guide.