I'm just about to assemble a pack-flat tall kitchen cupboard, designed
as a housing for a built-in fridge/freezer. I was surprised to see
that the cupboard comes with a hardboard back panel: doesn't a
fridge-freezer need a bit (or maybe even a lot) of ventilation at the
back?

The back doesn't appear to do anything beyond helping to hold the
housing square, and I can find other ways to do that; is there any
practical reason why I shouldn't just leave it off?

Incidentally, how exactly does the fridge/freezer fit into the
housing? Does it just sit there, unattached except for the
door-fronts? The cupboard comes with 6" plastic screw-in feet, which
I'm assuming are up to the job of supporting what's going to be quite
a hefty weight.

Thanks in advance.

Bert
http://www.bertcoules.co.uk

Bert Coules wrote:
I'm just about to assemble a pack-flat tall kitchen cupboard, designed
as a housing for a built-in fridge/freezer. I was surprised to see
that the cupboard comes with a hardboard back panel: doesn't a
fridge-freezer need a bit (or maybe even a lot) of ventilation at the
back?

Yes.

It doesn't absolutely require it - it'll just run longer and hotter
if you don't ventilate.


The back doesn't appear to do anything beyond helping to hold the
housing square, and I can find other ways to do that; is there any
practical reason why I shouldn't just leave it off?

Nope.

I found that installing a small mains fan in parallel with the motor to
blow across the coils decreased motor run times a fair bit.

I'm just about to assemble a pack-flat tall kitchen cupboard, designed
as a housing for a built-in fridge/freezer. I was surprised to see
that the cupboard comes with a hardboard back panel: doesn't a
fridge-freezer need a bit (or maybe even a lot) of ventilation at the
back?

Generally speaking, these housings are multipurpose and can house many
different types of freezer/fridge/fridge freezer/ovens etc. The instructions
usually have about 20 different variations.

These variations install the shelves/doors/drawers at different heights.
Many of the designs include sections that have no appliance, but can be used
as cupboard space. The hardboard is usually only used at the back of these
non-applianced sections.

However, you should follow the instructions for your particular model of
appliance carefully. Mine required one of the shelves to have a large
section removed for ventilation purposes. It also specified certain
ventilation requirements to the plinths.

The cupboard comes with 6" plastic screw-in feet, which I'm
assuming are up to the job of supporting what's going to be
quite a hefty weight.

Yep. They'd probably hold up an elephant if it stood still.

Christian.

Ian Stirling wrote:

It doesn't absolutely require it - it'll just run longer and hotter
if you don't ventilate.

Thanks for that. I see no reason to fit the thing, then. Mind you,
given that the cupboard is (inevitably, surely?) going to be fitted
against a wall, the extra ventilation won't be much. I might open up
the top of the housing with a series of large holes to help things
along a bit; I don't really want to fit a fan, though I can see that
it would help a good deal. Perhaps I should have thought about some
sort of vent-opening to the outside?

I'm still concerned about the strength of those feet, too, to say
nothing of the fun and games I'm going to have trying to get the
appliance into position...

Bert
http://www.bertcoules.co.uk

"Bert Coules" wrote in message
...
I'm just about to assemble a pack-flat tall kitchen cupboard, designed
as a housing for a built-in fridge/freezer. I was surprised to see
that the cupboard comes with a hardboard back panel: doesn't a
fridge-freezer need a bit (or maybe even a lot) of ventilation at the
back?

An integrated fridge or freezer pumps the heat out a little duct at the
front.

Christian McArdle wrote:

Generally speaking, these housings are
multipurpose and can house many
different types of freezer/fridge/fridge
freezer/ovens etc. The instructions
usually have about 20 different variations.

Not mine! Just the usual infuriating no-text-worth-speaking-of set of
line drawings.

However, you should follow the instructions for your
particular model of appliance carefully.

Perhaps I should hold off assembling the cupboard until I've bought
the fridge/freezer, or at least until I've got hold of the mounting
instructions.

Thanks for the thoughts (and the reassurance as to the strength of the
legs).

Bert
http://www.bertcoules.co.uk

Mike,

An integrated fridge or freezer pumps the heat
out a little duct at the front.

I didn't know that. So where does this heat dissipate to? Don't the
close doors of the cupboard effectively trap it in place?

Bert
http://www.bertcoules.co.uk

"Bert Coules" wrote in message
...
Ian Stirling wrote:

It doesn't absolutely require it - it'll just run longer and hotter
if you don't ventilate.

Thanks for that. I see no reason to fit the thing, then. Mind you,
given that the cupboard is (inevitably, surely?) going to be fitted
against a wall, the extra ventilation won't be much. I might open up
the top of the housing with a series of large holes to help things
along a bit; I don't really want to fit a fan, though I can see that
it would help a good deal. Perhaps I should have thought about some
sort of vent-opening to the outside?

I'm still concerned about the strength of those feet, too, to say
nothing of the fun and games I'm going to have trying to get the
appliance into position...

Bert
http://www.bertcoules.co.uk



A neighbour has one of these surrounding her CH boiler (floor standing) and
despite it having no back or top the CORGI(!) registered Mtce man insisted
that she had vent holes drilled in the front at the top - so I cut a hole
for her which is about 0.2% of the ventilation that existed and now he's
happy! Whatever happened to common sense?

Peter

Peter

I have separate integrated fridge and freezer (under counter but in
housing units), which have a small section cut out of the top of the
plinth so that air vents down beneath the door.

Sometimes tall housing units have an inset back to allow space for
pipes, wiring etc, so the hardboard back on yours may not go back to
the wall anyway.

Again, lots does depend on your appliance, so you really do need to
have that with instructions for housing, along with any assembly
instructions for the unit.

(In a previous life I was a kitchen designer)

Jenny - Content Editor

myPrime - the definitive over 50s portal
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Jenny,

I have separate integrated fridge and freezer (under counter but in
housing units), which have a small section cut out of the top of the
plinth so that air vents down beneath the door.

Is that effective? Given that hot air rises, I mean?

Again, lots does depend on your appliance, so you really do need to
have that with instructions for housing, along with any assembly
instructions for the unit.

Yes, I see that now. I was hoping to have the housing all prepared,
so I could persuade (or possibly bribe) the guys who delivered the
fridge-freezer to slide it into place for me...

Thanks for the thoughts.

Bert
http://www.bertcoules.co.uk

An integrated fridge or freezer pumps the heat out a little duct at the
front.

Mine doesn't. The heat is expelled in the normal manner. The shelves do not
go all the way back, leaving a good 60cm x 7cm "duct" for the rising heat.
The plinths must be ventilated. They supplied a vent grille for the purpose,
although also stated that you could leave 1cm of gap between the plinth and
the unit if preferred.

Christian.

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
t...
An integrated fridge or freezer pumps the heat out a little duct at the
front.

Mine doesn't. The heat is expelled in the normal manner.

I thought those were called semi-integrated or something like that.

Mine doesn't. The heat is expelled in the normal manner.

I thought those were called semi-integrated or something like that.

How so? It sounds like a higher level of integration, as it doesn't require
ducts at the front, which could visible with the door open. Having the heat
expelled at the top at the back sounds like a much better solution.

Christian.