replacing inbuilt under counter freezer

wallofbeans

Hi All,

My Smeg freezer seems to have died and I'm trying to figure out how I know which models will fit in its place. And how easy it will be to remove and replace, including removing and attaching the wooden door to the new freezer.

Can anyone advise?

phill99

I fit kitchens for a living. Built in under-counter freezers are a standard size. Around 590mm wide to allow a standard 600mm door to be attached.


Looking on the AO.com website they have a wide range and even offer a full fitting service.
https://ao.com/l/freezers-built_under/1-9/32/?pagesize=12

wallofbeans

phill99 wrote: »

I fit kitchens for a living. Built in under-counter freezers are a standard size. Around 590mm wide to allow a standard 600mm door to be attached.


Looking on the AO.com website they have a wide range and even offer a full fitting service.
https://ao.com/l/freezers-built_under/1-9/32/?pagesize=12

Hello again,

I'm just looking at options and have a couple of worries that I hope someone can help answer...

Is it okay if the freezer is a tight squeeze width wise or does it need a little bit of wiggle room? The widths seem to vary and I measured the gap I have as 59.9cm.. I'd love the new one to leave as little gap as possible so the ones I've seen that are 59.6cm wide would be perfect for me... unless that's going to cause problems..?

The other confusion is about the board that runs underneath all my cabinets and how I can make sure that I get a freezer that fits in with what is already there. My board is 14.7cm high.. is there a standard size that these freezers have? I can see they all have legs to adjust the height to fit under the counter correctly, but I'm confused about how that will work with the board at the bottom.. it seems that the higher the freezer is set, the more of the workings will be revealed at the top of the board.. or am I getting that entirely wrong?

Thanks for any advice...

FreeBear

Once the freezer is slotted in to place, if it sits a little higher than your old one, you won't notice the gap at the bottom. The kick strip (aka the board at the bottom) sits 50mm or so back from the door front, so the only way you'd see the gap is if you were flat on the floor.

wallofbeans

FreeBear wrote: »

Once the freezer is slotted in to place, if it sits a little higher than your old one, you won't notice the gap at the bottom. The kick strip (aka the board at the bottom) sits 50mm or so back from the door front, so the only way you'd see the gap is if you were flat on the floor.

So it doesn't matter what the differences are between freezers in that regard? The current freezer is attached by two screws to the 'kick strip', but it's a very old freezer and there is a vent running the width of the freezer just above the kick strip, and lots of these new ones seem to be designed so that vent is either not there or hidden behind the kick strip.. or so it seems.. either way would be great for a more streamlined look.

wallofbeans

Thanks for all the advice on this. I'm almost at a point where I can confidently buy a replacement freezer!

wallofbeans

Anyone got any advice on my last worry about the kick strip and fitting the freezer around it? Should I be looking at certain designs of freezer to fit well behind the 14.7cm high kick strip I have?

Thanks.

ryder72

You have received sound advise here.

All undercounter fridges and freezers are designed to slot into a space 600mm wide. The height of this gap varies from the 'norm' of 720mm but every kitchen manufacturer will provide their own solution around this.

In summary, buy any product and if your gap is correct, it will fit.

wallofbeans

ryder72 wrote: »

You have received sound advise here.

All undercounter fridges and freezers are designed to slot into a space 600mm wide. The height of this gap varies from the 'norm' of 720mm but every kitchen manufacturer will provide their own solution around this.

In summary, buy any product and if your gap is correct, it will fit.

Absolutely. And it all makes great sense too. I'm just struggling to be sure about the kick strip and the part of the freezer that goes under it. Lots of freezers I've now looked at have a variety of designs in that section, so it seems there could fit quite differently, and perhaps some better than others. For example, some available freezers show diagrams with a section cut out of the top of the kick strip to fit around the bottom of the freezer - and I don't want to have to do that if at all possible.

ryder72

Havent you just answered your question.

If you dont want to alter the plinth buy a freezer that doesnt require you to do this.

wallofbeans

ryder72 wrote: »

Havent you just answered your question.

If you dont want to alter the plinth buy a freezer that doesnt require you to do this.

I wish I knew which did and didn't. Only some have diagrams listed and then they are so vague that I can't be sure if the alteration is necessary or just suggested.

If I could understand what I need to look for in design to not need to alter it, then I'd be able to narrow down the search.