Freestanding Fridge/Freezer in Cabinet

[DIYBrit]

When I moved into my house 14 years ago, a freestanding fridge/freezer was installed in a kitchen cabinet.

I need to replace the fridge/freezer, but I'm in a dilemma. I'm concerned about things like adequate ventilation and whether an appliance store, such as Currys, will install a fridge in a cabinet cabinet as mine is.

I did some AI research, which told me I should go for an integrated fridge/freezer, because that's what goes in a cabinet and that otherwise it would have indadequate ventilation. I also figured that a specialist team would install this no problem. However, integrated fridge freezers are meant to fit flush within a cabinet and the door is attached to a cabinet door - which is not like my setup.

Should I go with a freestanding fridge/freezer instead? What would work best with this kitchen cabinet?

Cabinet internal dimensions: H-192cm D-76cm W62cm.
Current Fridge dimensions: H-181cm D-61cm W58cm.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

What's the difference between that and a FF being installed in between two full height kitchen units? If you're that worried fit a ventilation grille in the roof panel.

 

[foxhole]

All fridges require ventilation , nothing special about built in units.
The current cupboard is oversized for a built in unit .
Do you need a specialist team to plug a F/F in?

 

[Mottie]

If it’s lasted 14 years, just replace like for like. Maybe put a grille on that front kick panel, some ventilation holes in the panel that the FF sits on and some more ventilation holes in the top panel to give it some airflow.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

When I moved into my house 14 years ago, a freestanding fridge/freezer was installed in a kitchen cabinet.

Our FF is in a similar corner, but just installed on a taller (double height) plinth/kickboard than the rest of the kitchen units - not in a unit.

Your existing FF, appears to be installed in a unit, with doors, meaning to access items in the FF you have to open the cupboard door, and the FF door, which is just stupid. In addition, in the cupboard, with the doors closed, ventilation will be terrible - the FF will work overtime, in trying to keep the contents cool - that is, unless you have some unseen ventilation?

Replace it with a freestanding FF, but remove those stupid doors. You can get bungs, to tidy up the hinge fixing holes. The more ventilation to the FF, the better and more efficiently it will run.

 

[Why Not Indeed]

It's in the cabinet to insulate it from the adjacent radiator
We had an integrated one when we moved in to this house but because it's sat on the base of a unit, it's necessarily about 15cm further off the floor than it would otherwise be. As the ball and chain is vertically challenged, we ditched it and turned the cupboard in to a pantry and use a normal free-standing F/F instead. I appreciate that not everybody has the space to do this.