When purchasing a refrigerator, you want to make sure that it’s the perfect match for your lifestyle and brimming with all of the best features. But before you make that purchase, you have to make sure that the refrigerator can perfectly fit in your home.
Keep the following guidelines in mind when searching for refrigerators.
General Measurements
Just because you already have a refrigerator that fits well in your kitchen doesn’t mean that a new one will. Start by measuring the width, depth, and height of the space where the refrigerator will be installed. It doesn’t hurt to measure an extra time to make sure that you have the exact dimensions. Keep in mind that homes settle and the dimensions you might have taken when you moved in won’t always be the current dimensions.
Door Swing
You need to consider how much space you have to fully open the refrigerator door. Many refrigerators need to be opened 90 degrees or more to allow for full access. Check the specific installation requirements of the refrigerators you are looking at because the space needed for a door swing will vary by style. A top freezer refrigerator requires a different amount of space to fully open than a side by side does.
Ventilation Space
Make sure that your refrigerator can breathe. Without proper ventilation you can damage the fridge and cause it to consume more energy. You’ll need at least a quarter-inch gap for ventilation on the sides of the refrigerator as well as one inch on the back and top.
Counter-Depth vs. Proud Installation
Another factor to keep in mind when selecting a refrigerator is taking into account how you’d like the refrigerator to look when installed into your home. You can select between having the refrigerator flush with your cabinetry with a Counter-Depth unit or a Proud refrigerator whose depth will be greater than your counter.
If you want a sleek, built-in appearance, then a Counter-Depth will be perfect for you. Counter-Depth refrigerators have a standard depth of 24 inches, matching the depth of your counters. However, these refrigerators typically have less capacity than their Proud counterparts and may be taller to make up for the smaller depth. If you don’t mind the refrigerator’s depth exceeding that of your counters, then a Proud refrigerator will work for you.
Moving in the Refrigerator
The final areas that you have to measure before purchasing your new refrigerator are your doorways, staircases, and anything else that the refrigerator may bump into. There’d be nothing worse than buying your ideal refrigerator and not being able to fit it through the front door.
