Integrated Appliance Installation in Kitchen Units

Sliding the appliance into the cabinet is only the start. The fitter checks the opening against the manufacturer's installation instructions, levels the appliance and screws it to the cabinet sides. With integrated models, the fitter also mounts the furniture door or panel onto the appliance and adjusts it. Then come the connections to electricity, and where needed to water, waste or extraction. The last step is a function test.

Protecting the furniture is just as important. Most kitchen units are made of chipboard, and its raw edges cope badly with moisture and heat. Cut-outs in the worktop are therefore sealed, and a protective vapour strip goes under the worktop above the dishwasher.

Oven and microwave

The oven slides into a base unit or tall housing, is levelled and screwed in through the holes in its frame. Most ovens plug into a socket, or connect to a switched outlet. That socket should sit in the neighbouring cabinet, not directly behind the appliance, so you can still reach it later. The manufacturer specifies ventilation gaps, usually behind or below the oven, and these must stay clear. With a microwave, the fitter also checks that its door does not catch on the neighbouring doors when it opens.

Hob

The fitter cuts an opening in the worktop using the manufacturer's template. The cut edges are sealed so water cannot soak in. The hob sits on its sealing strip and is held in place with clips. Induction hobs and higher-powered electric hobs are usually hard-wired through a terminal block, often on a dedicated circuit and sometimes on a three-phase supply. This is work for a qualified electrician.

Dishwasher

The dishwasher connects to a cold water valve, and its waste hose connects to a spigot on the sink trap. The hoses must not be kinked. The waste hose should first rise, then drop to the trap, so water from the sink cannot flow back into the machine. On a fully integrated dishwasher, the kitchen door panel is mounted on the front. The door spring tension is then adjusted so the door neither falls open on its own nor feels too heavy.

Fridge

A built-in fridge needs airflow. Usually this means a vent grille in the plinth and a clear gap behind the back wall or above the housing. The cabinet door is joined to the fridge door either with a sliding system or with fixed hinges. The manufacturer decides which system is right for your fridge.

Cooker hood

A cooker hood either extracts air outside or recirculates it through a carbon filter. The manufacturer sets the minimum distance above the hob, and it is usually greater over a gas hob than over an electric one. In a block of flats, do not connect the hood to a shared ventilation duct without permission from the building management or owners' association. In many blocks this is not allowed, which is why recirculation is the usual choice there.

The easiest time to fit appliances is while the new kitchen is being installed. The fitter can match the cabinets to the exact models, and each step follows on from the last. If the units go in first and the appliances arrive later, you still need the exact models, or at least their installation dimensions, before fitting starts. Openings, sockets, water supply, waste and extraction are all planned from those dimensions.

In an existing kitchen the job tends to be more involved. A new appliance may have different dimensions from the old one, different ventilation needs or a higher power rating. In practice it often happens that a cabinet needs adjusting, a worktop cut-out needs enlarging or a socket needs moving. With older units the fitter also checks whether the cabinet can carry a heavier oven.

The work goes quickly when the services are in the right place, the openings match the instructions and the appliances are unpacked and ready near the kitchen. These things take more time and work:

• A new or enlarged cut-out in a finished worktop, especially stone or solid compact laminate
• A missing or badly placed socket or supply for the hob
• No water valve for the dishwasher, or a sink trap without a spigot for it
• Fully integrated appliances, where the furniture doors need precise adjustment
• Ducting the cooker hood through a wall or ceiling
• Older units that have to be modified for the new appliance

Hard-wiring a hob, changing the electrical installation or adding new circuits at the consumer unit is work for a qualified electrician only. Faulty wiring can overheat a cable, cause a short circuit or injure someone. A gas hob or gas oven may only be connected and tested by a qualified, registered gas engineer, who should also give you a record of the connection. If you smell gas in the kitchen, turn off the gas at the main valve and do not switch any electrical devices on or off. Open the windows, leave the property and call the gas emergency number or 112.

Warranty is another reason to have the job done properly. Manufacturers often state in their terms that they may reject a claim if the appliance was installed against their instructions. Keep the installation instructions and any connection records in a safe place.

• Blocked ventilation gaps around the oven or fridge, so the appliance overheats and runs noisily
• Unsealed edges on worktop cut-outs, which soak up water over time and swell
• No vapour strip above the dishwasher, so the underside of the worktop starts to delaminate
• A kinked supply or waste hose, or a leaking joint at the sink trap
• An appliance that is not level, so doors rub or the dishwasher drains poorly
• A socket directly behind the appliance that nobody can reach afterwards
• A cooker hood connected to a shared duct without the building management's permission

When you take over the kitchen, go through these points:

• Appliances are level and firmly fixed, and they do not move when you push them
• Cabinet and appliance doors line up, open smoothly and do not rub anywhere
• The hob sits flat and the sealing strip does not stick out anywhere
• The dishwasher has run at least a short programme, with no water underneath it or at the trap
• The fridge is cooling and the vent grilles are not covered
• The cooker hood runs at every speed and the light works
• You have been told how the oven and hob are connected, and for gas you have the gas engineer's record
• Installation instructions and warranty cards are filed away