How do you measure the niche dimensions of a built-in fridge freezer combination?
Measuring built-in fridge freezer combination dimensions in 6 steps
It's best to measure the niche dimensions when the fridge is already out of the niche. Isn't this possible? Look up the niche dimensions in the manual.
- Step 1. Measure the niche height
- Step 2. Measure the bottom door panel
- Step 3. Measure the niche depth
- Step 4. Measure the niche width
- Step 5. Check the installation drawing
- Step 6. Check the hinge system
Step 1: measure the niche height
Get a tape measure and measure the niche from the bottom to the top. It's important that you keep the tape measure nice and tight. Now you know how tall your fridge is.
Step 2: measure the lower door panel
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Measure door panel
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A. Lower door panel height
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B. Piece under the panel
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C. Subtract B from A
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Example
Measure the height of the bottom door panel. This is the door that sits on the lower fridge door. You measure this in the following way:
- A. Measure the height of the lower door panel.
- B. Next, measure the part of the door panel that sticks out from under the fridge.
- C. Now subtract what you've measured in step B from what you measured in step A. This is the height of your lower door panel.
Step 3: measure the niche depth
Place the tape measure on the rear point of the niche and pull it towards you. The standard niche depth for a fridge is usually 55cm. There are also fridges with different niche depths, so be sure to always check this.
Step 4: measure the niche width
You can measure the width by spanning the tape measure from the left to the right side of the niche. The standard niche width for a fridge is about 56cm. There are also fridges which are wider or smaller. That means it's important you check how wide your niche is.
Step 5: check the installation drawing
You have all required niche dimensions now. You can find an installation drawing on the product page of every fridge. You can find the minimum and maximum niche dimensions of the appliance here. Do your niche dimensions fall within the range? You can be sure the built-in fridge fits in your kitchen.
Step 6: check the hinge system
There are 2 types of hinge systems, the sliding door and door-on-door systems. In a sliding door system, the cabinet door and the fridge have their own hinges. That means the door sits on the fridge with a guide rail. With a door-on-door system, there's only 1 hinge. The cabinet door is directly on the fridge in this case. If you have a sliding door system, you can change it to a door-on-door system. With a door-on-door system, you can't switch.
Do you have an IKEA kitchen?
Do you have an IKEA kitchen? Not all fridges fit into your niche. This depends on your current fridge and the placement of the appliance. You can read more about this in our article.