How to get rid of an old water heater in Kansas City

A dead water heater has one thing going for it that almost nothing else in the junk world does: it's mostly steel, and steel is worth money. That flips the usual disposal math — instead of paying to get rid of it, most of the routes below are free, and one might hand you a few dollars. The hard part isn't where it goes; it's the stairs between the basement and the truck.

The scrap yard: free, and they might pay you

A tank water heater is a glass-lined steel cylinder with copper and brass fittings — scrap yards want it. In the metro, Langley Recycling (a fourth-generation Kansas City, MO yard that's been buying scrap for over 90 years) and Advantage Metals Recycling both take appliances, no appointment needed for a household drop-off. Be honest about the payout, though: a water heater scraps as light iron, which pays by the hundred pounds, so a typical tank brings a few dollars, not a windfall. The real win is that disposal costs zero — and prices change daily, so call for the current rate if the payout matters to you.

The zero-effort version: the curb scrapper

Because the metal has value, a water heater set at the curb with a "FREE SCRAP" sign has a way of disappearing — often within hours. Metro scrappers cruise for exactly this. It's a legitimate route, not a trick; you're just letting someone else make the scrap-yard run. Two caveats: check your city's rules on how long items can sit at the curb, and don't count on it over a weekend of rain — a rusted-out tank full of water is a lot less attractive than a dry one.

City bulky-item pickup takes them too

Kansas City, MO's bulky-item program explicitly lists water heaters among the appliances it accepts — and unlike a fridge or freezer, there's no refrigerant in a water heater, so no special truck or extra declaration is needed. Schedule through 311 or the city's online bulky scheduler and follow the standard set-out rules; our bulky-item pickup guide covers the item limits and timing. Most suburbs handle appliances similarly through their contracted hauler — check your city's rules. Just know this route recycles nothing: the tank rides to the landfill.

Replacing it? The installer should haul the old one

If the dead tank is being replaced, disposal is usually already solved: Home Depot's and Lowe's installation services both include haul-away of the old unit in the install, and most independent plumbers will take it too. The one mistake people make is not asking — some plumbers include haul-away, some add a modest fee, and you want that answer on the quote, not on install day when the old tank is sitting in the driveway.

Whatever the route: drain it first

An empty 40-gallon tank weighs somewhere around 120–150 pounds. Full, it's over 450 — and it sloshes. Before any route above: shut off the power at the breaker (electric) or turn the gas valve off (gas), let it cool, connect a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom, open a hot tap somewhere in the house to break the vacuum, and run the hose to a floor drain. Expect rusty sediment at the end. If capping a gas line is outside your comfort zone, that part is a plumber's ten minutes — don't guess at it.

Where we fit

We haul water heaters across the KC metro from $100, and the price is really about the carry — basement stairs, tight corners, a tank that hasn't moved in twenty years. It needs to be drained and disconnected before we arrive. Honest version: if your tank is already in the garage and you own a truck, the scrap yard is free and we'd tell you so. Where we earn it is the basement.