Is a fridge near a stove or other “warm” objects - is this normal?

Can I put a refrigerator near the stove? And next to the oven or the radiator? What happens if you put a microwave on top? We answer immediately: All these combinations are undesirable, but in desperate situations they are quite possible. The main thing is to protect the refrigerator from heat.

• The fact is that the heat from the plate makes the compressor work in intensive mode, as a result, the power consumption increases, the device wears out faster and fails sooner. Particularly affected by the heat of the model of refrigerators, in which the refrigerant circuits are precisely on the sides.

How to reduce harm to the neighborhood with a stove or other heat sources to a minimum? That is what we will discuss next. To quickly find the answer to your question, click on the appropriate link from the list. Or continue reading in order.

• Stove near the fridge
• Refrigerator next to the oven
• Refrigerator next to the radiator
• Fridge next to another fridge
• Microwave on the fridge

Attention! Any failure to comply with the installation conditions of the refrigerator, specified in the instructions of a particular model, may cause a refusal of warranty service if the device breaks down.

Stove near the fridge

The stove is the most dangerous neighbor for the refrigerator, especially if it is gas. Ideally, these two antipodes should be placed as far as possible from each other. For this, besides the main reason (the harm of heat), there are a couple of arguments “against”:

• The refrigerator is intensively soiled with splashes of fat during cooking;
• If the stove is located next to the refrigerator, then the pans with handles and large pots do not fit in the stoves nearest to it.

What is the distance between the stove and the fridge? These norms are more correct to learn from the instructions for a specific model of the refrigerator, since the recommendations of different manufacturers are slightly different. For example:

The recommended variant of the coexistence of the refrigerator and stove is presented in the photo below.

But, as practice shows, on a very small kitchens, eg, in "Khrushchev", to maintain the correct clearances is difficult or impossible. Therefore, many apartment owners place the stove and refrigerator close to each other. Here are some photo examples of such kitchens.

So, what to do if the kitchen is very small and the creation of even a 3-centimeter gap seems impossible? We offer the following 6 solutions that will help solve the problem in a complex or by themselves:

1. Stick heat-insulating material to the wall of the refrigerator, for example, Fomisol or Izolon PES. This method is the easiest, budget and at the same time effective - the refrigerator can coexist even with a gas stove. All you need to do is to cut the material and carefully glue it (preferably, the material is self-adhesive). Important nuance: The upper part of the refrigerator wall will continue to heat up a bit, since heat tends to rise upwards. But this problem is solved easily if you always use the hood (read about it later).

2. Use powerful hood. It captures most of the convective flow from the stove and thereby significantly reduces the heating of the refrigerator.
3. Embed the refrigerator in the box. So the frame of the box will play the role of a barrier and take a "heat stroke" on itself. In addition, it will protect the body of the refrigerator from splashes of grease and dirt. For best results, a layer of insulation should be glued to the refrigerator.

4. Put a partition or screen between the refrigerator and stove. The benefits of this method are the same - protection from dirt and the creation of a barrier against heat. What can make a screen or partition? Suitable MDF panels, plywood, drywall, tempered glass (in combination with thermal insulation). Here are a couple of photo examples.

5. Replace full-size appliances and car wash with smaller versions. This will allow you to win precious centimeters and put a refrigerator and stove right next to it. Here is what you can do:

• Replace the standard stove with a mini-stove with two burners. So you will be able to increase the distance between the refrigerator and stove to 15-25 centimeters. As practice shows, two rings for an average family of 4 people is enough for 100%.

• Put a narrow fridge (up to 55 cm wide). Even a couple of centimeters freed will improve the situation.
• Choose a small sink. Yes, it is not very convenient, but it is quite viable, especially with a dishwasher. By the way, sometimes it is possible to carve out a small distance between the stove and the refrigerator by transferring the sink.

6. In the end, the refrigerator can bring to the hallway or adjacent living room.

Refrigerator next to the oven

Oven brings the refrigerator much less harm than a gas stove or hob. Firstly, because we do not use it often, and secondly, it is most often built-in, which means there is a partition between it and the refrigerator.

You can reduce the harm of heat from the oven to zero if:

• Buy an oven with forced cooling (in such models there is a cooling fan) and triple glass in the door. Fortunately, many modern ovens meet these requirements.
• Stick on the refrigerator insulating material.
• Put between the devices any partition or screen.

If you take these measures in the complex, then the oven can be installed on the refrigerator as shown in the photo below.

Refrigerator next to the battery or heating pipes

Unlike a stove or oven, the pipes and the radiator next to the refrigerator affect it continuously (during the heating season), but less intensely. For this reason, it is best to place the refrigerator at least 5 cm away from the radiator or pipes.

If such an interval cannot be met, take the following measures (in combination or separately):

• Stick on the refrigerator insulating material;
• Close the pipes and / or the radiator with a protective HDF screen, rattan or wood grille, a drywall box;
• Embed the refrigerator in the box;
• Close the heating pipe tight curtain.

Fridge next to another fridge

You can put the refrigerator next to another refrigerator at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other. Embedded models can be installed closely, because they somehow will share the body of chipboard or MDF. Below in the photo you can see an example of installation of two built-in refrigerators in cabinets of columns with hinged doors. As you can see, it turned out something like the Side by Side model.

Microwave on the fridge

In the operating instructions, manufacturers do not report whether it is possible to put the microwave on the refrigerator. However, the installation rules of any microwave oven states that the gaps around the body of the device are definitely needed. After all, the heated air must circulate freely through the holes on one of the walls of the microwave.

• From the wall to the back wall of the stove a distance of about 10 cm is needed. By the way, this gap is also necessary for the refrigerator to work correctly, because air must also pass through its top and back side.
• Around the side walls need gaps of 5-10 cm.
• For the upper surface, a gap of about 20-30 cm is recommended.

More accurate recommendations should be found in the installation instructions for your particular model of microwave oven.

As for the harm of heat or microwaves, there is nothing to worry about.

• Microwaves do not affect the operation of the refrigerator in any way, and the heating of the furnace body is insignificant, because we usually use it not often and not for too long.

It turns out that if you put the microwave on the refrigerator with the recommended gaps for ventilation (for example, the stove can be put on legs), then there will be no problems. However, if the oven is large and heavy, then it is better to hang it on the wall (for example, using brackets), and if you often use the grill function, we recommend further protecting the top lid of the refrigerator with a heat-insulating sheet or plywood sheet / MDF / particleboard.

Here are some photos of refrigerators with a microwave on top.

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See also:

• How to arrange the refrigerator in the kitchen
• 10 criteria for choosing a refrigerator that you need to know before you buy
• 4 stages of choosing a built-in refrigerator and the nuances of its installation
• Hood in the kitchen - what you need to pay attention to when buying
• Design, zoning and arrangement of the kitchen-studio
• All the nuances of choosing a gas hob
• How to use windows in kitchen design
• Arrangement and design of the kitchen without a window