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Buying a fridge is no straightforward matter..........


mint
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This query might be one tailor-made for Teapot.

I shall be buying a fridge to go in the new kitchen.  It's a larder type one and I am only looking at, say, 60 litres.  As I am re-fitting a large cupboard, I thought I could buy a fridge and just put it in the cupboard.

The installer said "no" because there wouldn't be enough circultion in a cupboard for a fridge.

So, what I want to know is:  how come a built-in (encastrable) fridge would be OK but not an ordinary one?

Do these built-in fridges have a different kind of cooling or venting system?

The depth of the cupboard BTW is 700 and I have seen some pretty slimline fridges that are 400.

It's not that I doubt the installer; it's that I like to check for myself!

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[quote user="mint"]This query might be one tailor-made for Teapot.

The installer said "no" because there wouldn't be enough circultion in a cupboard for a fridge.

So, what I want to know is:  how come a built-in (encastrable) fridge would be OK but not an ordinary one?

Do these built-in fridges have a different kind of cooling or venting system?

[/quote]

Installer is correct, normal larder fridge has an evaporation tray at the back and the black mesh looking heat exchanger which needs a flow of air.

Built in fridges vent from the front of the machine usually behind or through a vent on the kick panel (Plinth).

It is possible to cut the back out of the cabinet where it cannot be seen and vent that way, possibly with a small silent fan to help but that's moving away from standard.

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Also be aware of the climate class of the fridge: no, not the energy rating, but the climate class - this is basically the range of ambient temperature over which the fridge is designed to operate.

As we discovered during the hottest summer since ... ever (?), 2003, many fridges and freezers sold in the UK and France are rated as "N" - which means a room temp of +16 C to +32 C. These don't like being put into outbuildings for example. And in a canicule, if the room temp rises above +32 C (which it did in our place in 2003) ... they don't have the capacity to cool, and turn your ice-cream into soup and your milk into cheese.

Available ratings are :

SN - operating range of +10 C to +32 C

N - operating range of +16 C to +32 C

ST - operating range of +18 C to +38 C

T - operating range of +18 C to +43 C

You can also find ones which can straddle the ranges: eg SN/ST which will go from +10C to +38C, and SN/T which will go from +10 to +43C.

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Pickles, that is most helpful, thank you very much.

And there was me thinking a fridge was a fridge was a fridge!

Good job you posted that because that is quite a warm room and, up to now and with the knowledge that we would be re-doing the kitchen, we have not bothered with a fridge at this level in the house.

We have a large American fridge freezer downstairs (cooler in summer and warmer in winter) and we quite like going up and downstairs for the bit of exercise!

All visitors think we are mad but the arrangement's worked well so far and I particularly did not want to buy a fridge that would have to be discarded when the kitchen got its facelift.

Thanks to you, Pickles, I shall start the search again, this time with the right criteria.

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Yes, I have a built in larder fridge/freezer, if I return to the UK in winter I either have to switch off, defrost and empty the fridge or leave the heating on so that the fridge will work, how stupid and ungreen is that! If I dont I come back to defrosted frozen food, if its a really cold spell then its not so bad.

I believe that a lot of the "cool-wall" fridges or fridge/freezers have the same failing.

I know a retired couple that had their garage insulated because of their freezer, and you know how much that costs, that wasnt sufficient so they had to have their central heating extended to the garage. For a fridge [:-))]

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As part of a new kitchen last year i decided to have a built in fridge. Bad error. So i chose an electrolux super energy efficient fridge. Error compounded to the Nth degree. I now have a fridge that on max setting all the time, struggles to cool to 5C in winter, tho can acheive a more acceptable 3-4C in summer, as long as you do not open the door. I can only think that it has some 'clever' electronics that use ambient temp to calculate cooling. Worse than useless. I have never had to throw away so much food, nor had so many health upsets. Its headed for the dump as soon as the budget can fund a non state of the art stand alone.

JFB

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We have a built in larder fridge in our kitchen. It's been changed since we moved in and that was fun! When we searched for a new fridge we could only find ones 20cm taller than the old job. So eventaully one was bought and I had to knock out the 'shelf' it stood on. Making the top higher? No chance 'cause it's 4" sq oak above it! So I started on the shelf. That turned out to be reenforced concrete! 4 lb lump hammer and a new shelf of 1 1/2" ply and we are in buisness again, but what a job for a new fridge.

We also have a larder fridge, a fridge/freezer and an upright freezer in the garage. Well the larder jobbie is esential! Where alse would we put the beer and white/pink wine? and the other two are to keep both of us from starving !! We haven't noticed the wine or beer being a problem, the freezer? No problem. And the fridge/freezer has a winter setting for the fridge where you can switch it of and leave the freezer running [8-|] (that smilie is quite appropriate for this init )

You should have seen the fun and games when I cam to change the sink unit for a slightly larger one and the worktop is also reenforced concrete! Angle grinder, lots of blankets, dust mask and bleedin dust from one end of the house to the other [:-))]

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Just as well I asked, isn't it?

Interesting what you have said JohnFB and Erns.

Actually, I think the depth of the cupboard is enough for an ordinary fridge and I can certainly leave room either side and above it.  But does it mean that I shouldn't shut the door on it?

That wouldn't be any good as it's in the eating part of the kitchen and I don't think I want to sit and eat practically next to the fridge[:-))]

Bad enough having to eat and cook in the same room, something I am not used to at all but, when we downsized, this was the configuration and I determined to get used to it.

I think I'd have to look carefully at the specs before buying.  Thank you for all your input.

JohnFB, I meant to ask you, what sort of kitchen did you choose and, apart from the fridge, are you pleased with it?[:)]

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Mine's a cupboard without a door just to clarify.

Don't talk to me about reinforced concrete, what is it with the French that EVERYTHING has to be cast in it ?

When I fitted my wood burner in what had been an open fire place I had to demolish it's canopy.

No problem I thought, it's only going to be block or brick construction but oh no, reinforced concrete - so a job which should have taken an hour or two took about 3 days and meant me buying a jack hammer, the angle grinder I already had.

I was planning to remove the base as well but as a foot high 1m3 lump of reinforced concrete I said bugger that for a game of soldiers and put the wood burner on top of it instead !

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