The placement of household electronic devices makes many people quite uncomfortable because it directly affects the experience of using the device and its lifespan. However, there are still some people who think they can put kitchen electronics anywhere they want, as long as the arrangement is convenient. This is completely wrong. There are several things you need to consider when choosing where to place your food warmers such as microwaves, ovens, and air fryers. In this article we will talk about the placement of the microwave, is it really safe to place the microwave beside the refrigerator?
What should be kept in mind when choosing a microwave oven location?
To choose the perfect location for your microwave and answer the question of whether a microwave beside a refrigerator is harmful, you must first know the factors to consider when choosing a location for a heating device such as a microwave oven.
Convenience
Convenience is always the first content that anyone wants when placing appliances in their kitchen. So it can be said that this is the most important factor. You should choose locations with high accessibility and avoid hidden corners far from the center of the kitchen. Make sure the position is easy for you to use and within your height. Do not place the microwave oven in positions too high that you have to stretch or climb up to be able to use it.
Safety
Safety is also an important factor, it determines the life of the equipment and helps you avoid the hazards associated with kitchen fires. Therefore, consider it when installing any kitchen equipment, especially those that give off heat during use. You should not place the microwave oven in places with bumpy, sloping surfaces because it can easily lead to slips and falls. Besides, it is also important to keep away from flammable materials and water sources. To avoid electrical problems and protect your family’s safety, you should place your microwave oven away from dishwashers and water basins.
Space
This is a factor that few people think about when buying a microwave. Usually when buying a microwave, they will think about the location and where to put the microwave. This will be quite difficult to choose the perfect place for your microwave. Therefore, before buying a microwave oven, we recommend that you choose a suitable location and measure the area there. Most microwave ovens need a lot of space to function well, avoid placing the microwave in a space that is too small, just enough to fit. If you find it difficult to choose the space available in the kitchen, you can choose to place the microwave on a shelf or trolley. However, choose sturdy shelves and a suitable shelf position so as not to interfere with operations in the kitchen.
Ventilation
Any kitchen appliances need to consider ventilation when installing, as their operation generates heat energy and heat accumulation. Therefore, locations that are too narrow will cause microwave oven parts to explode, leading to damage. Moreover, the microwave oven when operating will produce smoke and odors, a well-ventilated location is essential. Usually, the distance of the microwave to surrounding surfaces should be more than 3 inches. If you want to install a microwave oven in the cabinet, don’t forget to consider this factor.
Is it safe to put the microwave next to the refrigerator? Why?
You can place the microwave next to the refrigerator, but this is not a really ideal location for your microwave, especially with refrigerators that have the door opening towards the microwave. This placement puts the doors of the microwave and refrigerator in danger of collision and leads to damage or dents of either appliance. However, if you can eliminate this risk, then you can completely put in this position.
In addition, a microwave oven is a device that gives off heat during operation, and so is a refrigerator. Therefore, you should not put two devices that emit heat next to each other, but should choose cool and ventilated locations to keep the device in a stable operating state.
See this for your reference: “Don’t Install Your Refrigerator Next to Your Dishwasher or Oven”
Note when placing the microwave oven near the refrigerator
Once you’ve decided to place the microwave next to the refrigerator and solved the problems to do so, you still need to keep a few tips in mind to use the microwave safely:
Opening and closing the door
Because the microwave and refrigerator are next to each other, you should not open the door of two devices at the same time, but should open each one in turn when using.
Within reach of the user
Positions that are too high will cause users to easily get burned when reaching for food in the microwave. On the contrary, the low positions will make children, who do not know how to use, need the microwave oven, leading to the risk of burns.
Pay attention to the microwave door
When the microwave oven is in operation, you should absolutely close the door of the microwave oven because opening or leaking the door will cause the microwave to overheat, causing an electrical leak or fire to one of the appliances.
Microwave in your kitchen: some mistakes to avoid
Place a microwave too close to the window is asking for trouble
The microwave needs proper ventilation but placing it in front of a window is not the solution. In general, windows should be kept clean and away from heat-generating appliances, such as refrigerators, stovetops, or microwaves.
Never keep a microwave in a corner cabinet
Microwaves are used to reheat, defrost or soften ingredients or leftovers. Putting them in a corner is generally a disastrous choice, unless your kitchen is designed for an angular space. A better mounting option is “Microwave with enough room on both sides for proper ventilation and support”.
Do not place a microwave against a wall
Microwaves against the wall are a bad idea. Microwave ovens need a lot of space around, especially since they only have one door. If you place your microwave against a wall, both your microwave door and your wall can break down over time.
Never put a microwave next to a sink
Since washing dishes is a messy job, you run the risk of accidentally splashing the microwave during operation. Therefore, placing the microwave next to the sink is one of the mistakes to avoid. The solution is to make sure that the microwave is always 4 to 9 feet away from the sink.
FAQs
Can you put a microwave on top of your refrigerator?
The top of the refrigerator is a place where you can put the microwave. Normally, you can place objects weighing up to 31kg on top of the refrigerator.
However, you need to consider these important factors after making such a choice.
Weight of the microwave
With a regular refrigerator, it is completely capable of withstanding the weight of a microwave oven. make sure the top of the refrigerator should be sturdy enough.
The outer shell of a refrigerator is usually designed to be stronger to carry the weight of lighter items and appliances such as microwave ovens.
Most modern microwaves weigh around 16kg. Please check the weights of the respective devices in the user manual to be sure.
Proper ventilation
Many people often overlook this fact when keeping the microwave near the refrigerator. Both microwave ovens and refrigerators give off a lot of heat to keep them cool and ensure their normal operation. Therefore, you must always ensure that there is enough ventilation in the room for the equipment to work smoothly. Poorly ventilated locations can block the vents causing the compressor to strain. As a result, the refrigerator must consume more power to meet these energy needs.
In addition to potentially increasing your electricity bill, the life of your devices is seriously affected. Always make sure that the microwave is placed half an inch away from the vent.
Should you put the refrigerator and the microwave on the same circuit?
You should never attempt to share circuits with any device. This is especially true for appliances like microwave ovens and refrigerators that consume a lot of electricity.
Most people want to put them in the same circuit, especially when they are placed close to each other.
You should know that a circuit is not made to handle a multitude of devices. Therefore, it is not correct to plug the refrigerator and the microwave oven on the same circuit.
These devices differ in their power consumption:
- A microwave oven consumes between 600W and 1600W. When they are operating at full capacity, it reaches a frequency of about 2400W.
- A refrigerator use around 1000 to 1900W per day when they are operating at full capacity.
Each device should have a dedicated circuit.
Conclusion
You can completely place the microwave beside the refrigerator while ensuring the cooking process and do other things in your home.
Do not put the microwave near the window, in the corner cabinet, near the sink or against a wall.
