Microwave above (or on) dishwasher.

onzey

Hi

I've just bought a new freestanding Bosch dishwasher and in the manual it says:

"If you install a microwave oven above the dishwasher, the microwave oven may be damaged."

Just wondering how they think the damage might occur? Steam when the dishwasher is opened perhaps? Has a microwave oven ever been damaged by a dishwasher?

I didn't anticipate any problem or is there some issue I'm not aware of?

I actually want to stand a microwave oven on the dishwasher.

Thanks for any thoughts.

kwikbreaks

A google search on "If you install a microwave oven above the dishwasher, the microwave oven may be damaged." throws up quite a few hits from different manufacturers. One or more may give some details why but I'd say multiple warnings suggest there must be something in it. My guess would be the steam if a dishwasher is opened straight after the programme ends.

onzey

kwikbreaks wrote: »

A google search on "If you install a microwave oven above the dishwasher, the microwave oven may be damaged." throws up quite a few hits from different manufacturers. One or more may give some details why but I'd say multiple warnings suggest there must be something in it. My guess would be the steam if a dishwasher is opened straight after the programme ends.

I did do a similar search but the results, without opening too many pdfs, I don't think give any specific danger to microwaves from a dishwasher.

shaun_from_Africa

As kiwibreaks states, when you open most dishwashers soon after the drying cycle has finished, there is an awful lot of steam that will come out of the door and if there is anything electrical or electronic above it, this steam could go inside and condense and cause problems.
They may have specifically mentioned microwave ovens as they normally have quite a large fan and probably draw in more air (and moisture) than other shelf top kitchen appliances.

POPPYOSCAR

I have never heard of this before.


My microwave sits on the worktop on top my integrated dishwasher and has done for the last 4 years.

agrinnall

Mine sat on top of my tumble drier for 10 years without suffering any ill effects from heated damp air, sounds like manufacturers covering their backs having had a very small number of claims to me.

GunJack

...or it's prolonged exposure to vibration if the microwave is sat on top of the dishwasher...

kwikbreaks

Maybe but in that case a washing machine would be far worse and that wasn't mentioned in the original post.

Dishwasher instructions saying don't put microwave above - http://www.argos-support.co.uk/ctrl-data/uploads/files/4286758_D001.pdf

There are plenty more..


I know when fitting an integrated dishwasher there is a protective strip included to protect the worktop from steam. I imagine that putting the microwave on the back of a worktop above a dishwasher would be fine and am guessing (yet again) that the instructions only relate to standing the microwave directly on top of the dishwasher.

Fightsback

Also, don't forget that a Microwave is not suitable for drying soggy cats, so the urban legend goes.

onzey

Thanks for everyone's replies.

@kwikbreaks
Thanks for all the links. I should've added in my second post that I didn't open many links to pdfs from the google search pages, because the fact that the exact same wording (i.e. "If you install a microwave oven above the dishwasher, the microwave oven may be damaged.") was appearing, made me think they will all be references to a Bosch dishwasher manual, which indeed I think they are.
Having seen my own Bosch manual I suppose I would expect all Bosch manuals to have similar or identical safety warnings, and perhaps Siemens and Neff too, being in the same BSH group.

I suppose I thought I might find, from my own search, some links to stories of damaged microwaves through proximity to dishwashers, but it wasn't the case.

I notice Bosch do only use the word "above" with no mention of the word "on" but I suppose it covers both.

The fact that it is the microwave oven that's at risk of damage I suppose I'd better find it's manual to see if there's a similar warning. It is still in the warranty period!

Overall, I suspect there's quite a few microwave ovens out there surviving on or above dishwashers.

kwikbreaks

onzey wrote: »

Overall, I suspect there's quite a few microwave ovens out there surviving on or above dishwashers.

I'm pretty sure there are too.

There are very high voltages inside a microwave and I don't doubt that damp wouldn't do them a power of good. They will be designed to handle steam from the food they cook but the designers wouldn't expect any cooling fan for the electronics to be sucking in steam.

As was said this is probably a CYA exercise because somebody claimed some damages in the past.

It's not often I ever open mine right at the end of the cycle anyway - I tend to bung it on before going to bed and empty it in the morning.