Question about installing microwave in cabinet

[JoeM]

We've had an 1100 watt KitchenAid microwave installed in our kitchen wall cabinet with a trim kit for the last 13 years until it recently broke. The available space there is not large so finding a replacement that fit was not easy. I found an LG LCRT1513ST that fit, purchased it and put it in the cabinet space.

Reading over the manual, it says for a cabinet install, it needs at least an extra 4" clearance on all sides for ventilation. I only have 2" clearance on the bottom and sides and 3" at the top and back. Before I bought a custom trim kit, I decided to see if it would be ok with the extra space I have available so I called LG customer service. I got a young kid in an outsourced center who didn't really know anything and could only read the manual back to me.

My old KitchenAid microwave's manual only mentioned that it needed "a few inches" on the sides for ventilation so I'm wondering if it will be ok to keep it or if I should return it and try to find something else.

Anyone have any experience or thoughts on installing in cabinets?

TIA

[space-time]

in a cabinet? it probably needs some clearance. probably the clearance is oversized to err on the side of safety.

my over the range microwave has no clearance on both sides and probably very little clearance on the back and it works just fine.

[pqrst]

When we moved into a new place, the refrigerator in the place, barely fit into the space built for it. There was very little space around and certainly not the recommended amount. So we ended up going from a passive system to an active one to move the air.We ended up directing an airflow using three small computer 12vdc squirrel cage fans to move the air. (like these http://www.allelectronics.com/item/cf-59...fan/1.html They are very quiet and relatively unobtrusive and you can definitely feel the hot air being moved. My two cents.

[JoeM]

space-time wrote:
in a cabinet? it probably needs some clearance. probably the clearance is oversized to err on the side of safety.

my over the range microwave has no clearance on both sides and probably very little clearance on the back and it works just fine.

That's what I'm thinking as well. I'll probably stop back at Best Buy, where I got it. There was a guy there in appliances who was pretty knowledgeable and maybe ha can confirm this.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

2" on every side should be fine if you can route the exhaust air out of the cabinet and have a way for it to easily draw in fresh air. That is how my over the range microwave was set up, but it was kind of designed for that orientation.

[JoeM]

pqrst wrote:
When we moved into a new place, the refrigerator in the place, barely fit into the space built for it. There was very little space around and certainly not the recommended amount. So we ended up going from a passive system to an active one to move the air.We ended up directing an airflow using three small computer 12vdc squirrel cage fans to move the air. (like these http://www.allelectronics.com/item/cf-59...fan/1.html They are very quiet and relatively unobtrusive and you can definitely feel the hot air being moved. My two cents.

That 's a pretty cool idea (pun intended!). I guess it's a bit different since a fridge is cycling on and off all the time and for that it's a great solution. We don't use the microwave much but I will keep it in mind.

[davester]

4" on each side sounds ridiculous. I have my Panasonic microwave in a cabinet with only about 1" with no problems to date. A microwave is not the same as a refrigerator which is creating heat 24/7 that must be dissipated.

[OWC Jamie]

You'd have to have an awful tight fit, and likely cook for an awful long time to cause an ambient heat rise inside the cabinet sufficient enough to have a detrimental effect on internal component cooling ability which may or may not compromise those internal components.

[artie67]

Your fine. Condensation is the problem and you have plenty of space for the fan to exhaust out front. Mine has 3/4" (the feet of the unit) on the bottom and 1" on sides and 1 and 1/2" on the top. Cabinet is 24" deep. No problems.

[JoeM]

Thanks everyone. Looks like a keeper then. I really like this LG and at a cost of $150 it is way more reasonable then others I see costing $500 or more. Given we don't cook in them I can't see spending that much for a coffee warmer.