Space for Combination Microwave

Cordie

I am looking to buy a combination microwave oven but am unsure of the space needed for ventilation. I will have a gap of about 20cm above only 9cm at the back and a metre either side. Does anyone here know if that will be enough for safety purposes.

Davesnave

Sounds ideal to me, considering that some models can be built in with clearances of less than that. There will be plenty of air flow around.

Cordie

Thanks for the reply Davesnave but I have just discovered the folly of trying to do anything with numbers first thing in the morning. I wrote down 42.4cms as the depth but looking at it this evening it's 50cms which would make it virtually touching the wall so unfortunately I will have to have a rethink.

jennifernil

We have had one of those for 29 years now. It is a Siemens, and could be built-in, but it currently sits on the wooden worktop, diagonally across a corner, and touches the wall at both back corners, and in the middle as there is a projecting pipe duct.

Clearance above to the wall units is about 15cm.

The sides of it do not get hot, I haven't felt the back.

Cordie

Thanks for the information jennifernil I was wondering about built-in microwaves but I assumed that they were probably designed differently to stand alone ones.

I wish I could afford a Siemens if they last 29 years I hate getting use to new items.

I_have_spoken

That's vastly more clearance than I have around my Panasonic combi-microwave!

McKneff

The details of the ventilation clearance should be included with the details when you are looking for one.

Ruski

My Panasonic sits flush against the back wall, and up against a unit to the left - it's designed to do that as all heat is diverted up and away. The instructions will give you the necessary clearances.

Research it!

Cheers

Russ

Cordie

I have been looking at two combination microwaves at the cheaper end of the price scale one in Tesco and the other in Argos. Tesco give no information about clearance levels required but I looked through the Q&A section in Argos and for that model it is 7.9 inches from any adjacent wall and at least 12 inches above.

There is no way I can have a distance of 12 inches behind the microwave my kitchen surfaces are only 21 inches wide but it looks as though the clearance levels given are very generous as you all seem to have placed your microwaves in a much more confined area.