Here I am, on a Saturday night, watching pictures of refrigerators to hip music. My life has really not turned out how I thought it would.

Dang it folks! He read the installation manual!!!! 😂 Why people even question you Handyman??? Always does top notch work.

I like how you straight up say gonna stretch this or to 10 min

I had my last two builders put in a 6" recess behind where the fridge goes. I just don't like it when the face of the fridge sticks out so far past the face of the cabinets. Glad to see that I'm not the only one that feels this way. One builder just couldn't understand why I would want such a thing.😞

You showcase one of my kitchens in your very informative video. I stopped putting bathroom ventilation fans in my sub zero installs about 2 years ago. Thanks again for showcasing one of my kitchens

I was so concerned about ventilation for my refrigerator, I just set the damn thing in the back yard and ran an extension cord. Now that I think about it, this is right before my wife left me. Happy Saturday HM!!

Straight up taunting them!!!! Love it! 😂 😂😂😂

Good to know. I have a small 1950s home with a galley kitchen. My fridge is from '93 and new ones are much, much deeper. Now when I go to upgrade I could spend an extra $1-2k for a smaller counter-depth fridge OR I could buy a standard fridge and cut back a pocket into the wall behind it to gain a couple of inches so it doesn't block the walkway.

Thanks for info on the clearance.

Yep, half-inch on the side according to my manual. Thanks, this saves me a lot of trouble!

The important thing most don't do is clean under their fridge. That's where it gets air from and gets really dirty/dusty! 2x a year vacuum under the fridge! Make it run less and better/cooler!

Thanks for showing this!! I hate a free standing fridge. It always looks unfinished and plopped in!!! I enjoy your work.

Thanks for the video; very good and clear explanation .

Love the 4 minute built-in fridge montage. Too good. People commenting about the clearances have no idea. Don't feed them, let the trolls starve and continue on.

Yeah, you can pack it in tight to the clearances, but problems arise when the coils get dirty. This is common with people with pets. Don't ask the people who make the refrigerator how to have a long-lasting fridge (planned obsolescence) , ask the techs who work on these fridges. They will always tell you the more fresh air the coils get, the better your chances of a refrigerator lasting will be.

This is exactly what I’ve been looking for 😭. Thanks!

I for one am glad that this was cleared up. BTW the music was a bomb at the end, that means good so says my granddaughter

Very interesting, I never thought about that!!! Good info.

Our Whirlpool side by side is fully enclosed and has been for 10 years. Works like a charm.

Great video. Thanks for the update.

Love a good statement disguised as a passive aggressive question. 🤣

Thanks Handyman, you've done very well to answer the questions. Thanks again for sharing

any plans on doing a update video on that washing machine you bought used that broke down?

Well done!

"I can fit 3 fingers in there" thats whats she said 😂

Its old school thinking with the coolant fins in the back of fridges and you needed to keep air moving around it. I think most today cool from a fan blowing out on the bottom and into the kitchen.

You could do more of these talking videos. You have a lot of great knowledge to share and it will help people that think they know but are misinformed.

That is what thought and told. But I have lost one whirlpool French door refrigerator right after it completed 5 yrs... Ouch! And that is the reason given to me. Now we have LG and it's just over a year and already twice it goes into Error code and I have to increase the refrigerator temp to 41 for several days to make it keep working. So what remedy you suggest for this if not to create more vent space in the back?

Growing up in 90s, can remember my aunt getting her first new fridge w/ built in ice/water(looked similar to this 8:25). Front looked just like all her other kitchen cabinets. Looked great. Only bad thing about a built in.....when we need to repair them, or vacuum out the coils, LOL, that’s when it kinda sucks for us (like all built in appliances 😉). Fridge looks great, & cabinets aren’t even up yet, can’t wait for that vid. Assuming have the water hookups recessed in the back wall behind the fridge, along with outlet? Like doing that, as it makes the install look nice & goes fairly easy. Cheers✌🏼 p.s. thx for bringing up privacy fence question.....now got me curious😂

Appreciate the video!

That's a clean hoodie & great video thanks

The problem with building the space around the fridge so tight to the fridge is when you need to replace the unit. I have seen those high-end units fail just a year or two after the warranty is over, so the cabinets are around six or seven years old. Finding another fridge later that fits in the same hole is often a challenge and you don't want to have to replace all your custom cabinetry just because your fridge breaks and you need a new fridge. It may not look as sweet, but having a bit of extra space is a good idea because it leaves room for a different unit to be installed later.

speaking of the custom door panels for fridges, i doubt they have refrigerant running through the doors. i wonder if it would be possible to diy it just by taking off the stock outter shell and replacing/trimming the closed cell foam if necessary. it might make things look very high end for not a whole ton of money.

New fridges vent from the bottom in the front.

I will say that if you have a crawl space or basement it's easy to install a drain in the floor under the fridge. It's good knowing you have that protection if the water line breaks or whatever with a water situation!!! Same with dishwasher!!!

Catchy tune! Amused by the looped example images. 😆

I use a stop on all my washer/dryer, installation or replacement.

Love that hoodie. I have the same one

I knew this. Technically. I knew there was always a vent on the bottom front of every fridge I've ever had, plus the airflow from underneath where the feet are. And I also knew to be careful where the plugs and hookups go. But like...I never realized about any clearances for the top and sides. I just always assumed it was commonly known. But I've also never sunken a fridge into its own little room. You've done very well on this project and I'm just amused by watching you do this stuff. I'm a 30 year old girl (lady? Woman? Whatever.) who just loves this kind of stuff. I miss doing construction. It was my favorite job I've ever had. My dad got me into it when I was a kid. I started out carrying cinder blocks for him while he was building my godfather's 3 story house with a guest room over the garage. I'll always have love for the craftsmanship that goes into what a good carpenter (or just handyman, if you want a smaller term) can do.

Great to-know info! ❄️👍❄️ Had no idea. But if you think about it logically, a fridge's cooling system is a closed system & doesn't emit any (edit) coolant gas exhaust. And the compressor motor does not get very hot. A little warm, but not so much that it causes problems. (It was explained to me that the compressor is simply a low energy vacuum that pulls warm air out of the refrigerator, leaving the interior cold. The warm air is then recycled through gas filled cooling coils inside the fridge's interior, further keeping things cold. A very simple process. 🔄 )

I've been wanting to build a pantry for my mom with a built in chest freezer. Any idea why those tend to have more clearance in the specs? It's the common Arcticwhatever brand, mid size, and they all seem to "require" around 4" on all sides. Seems excessive and quite limiting, but I'm uneasy with the idea of going against it.

We just got a new fridge and it is tight. I’m thinking about modifying the cabinets to allow air to flow around it.

Awesome grunt style hoodie.

I never thought about it one way or the other...I mean you see refrigerators tucked away behind paneling like you said, I’ve seen people use small pantry closets in older homes to tuck them into to get them out of the way...then you have counter depth models that fit pretty tight against back walls and what not. Didn’t think you were placing it wrong at all due to ventilation lol Never would’ve thought to complain about that, everything is pretty normal to me so far

I have a refrigerator out in my garage. It's been working great, I recently Organized/cleaned my garage and cleaned out around the fridge, the temperatures went way up.. I put stuff around it again, now it's fine 🤔

Cool.

Hi, I’m moving to a new house and i just bought a refrigerator, the width of the refrigerator is 79cm and the space built for that in the new house in 79cm width😐 still have plenty space free at the back and the top of the refrigerator , but no in the sides… do you think that i can still put that one or I should buy another one?

Wow nice tip I never knew that . Also lol what question do people ask about privacy fences?

I'm getting a Samsung Without icemaker or water dispenser still says 2 inches on the back, But its a tight kitchen.. is 1 inch enough? 2 inch would make the refrigerator stick out to much. Other refrigerators say 1/2 inch to 1 inch...

I do this for a living and still watched the handyman troll the trolls. I like that hoodie btw.

We have had 2 refridgerators already have the condenser go out. We either have really bad luck or it's a ventilation issue

How do i unplug the fridge then? Do i have to pull it outwards to unplug it?

What type of stopper are you talking about to keep refrigerator from sliding into back wall?

I have that same sweat shirt! :)

My LG fridge says 1/8" on the sides too and it's giving me some damn agita about not having enough room.

I have to confess I was one of the people who just always assumed you needed a free standing fridge. I have one just out in the middle of the room basically and I am now considering all my options for where exactly I should put the thing. To be fair though, I also questioned which direction I should have the curtains face, whether the "nice" side should be facing the inhabitants or the people outside. I chose poorly and still get teased about it by my mom when she comes to visit. It is easy to just take things for granted when you have never dealt with them.

After a bit of poking for the last week, I've discovered that cheap refrigerators (my budget) do require clearances. I'm eying a cute little chest freezer that demands 5 inches all the way around. Older and low-end fridges use coils to cool down and those coils need fresh air. High-end can be stuffed right in there. I'm converting a skoolie. I can't afford to drop $2,000 on a little apartment-sized fridge, but I need every inch. To get around this, I'm leaving more clearance in the back and installing a little fan that'll pull air from the top, down over the coils, and out the bottom of the bus every time the fridge kicks on. That should do the trick. "Read the installation instructions" really is the best advice. I want to frame out my existing (5 year old, working beautifully) stainless all-refrigerator, but it's the lowest end fridge with that look and does require space. I've had a wireless thermometer under the crawl space for a full year and have discovered that even when it's 108F outside, it never hits 80F under there. Never gets below 45F in the winter. When we redo our kitchen, I'll be doing the fan trick for the fridge. I'm planning on making the upper intake vent a feature of the cabinet design. All these things are worth thinking about. We can go for the high-end look without breaking the bank or our appliances. Do your homework and be respectful of your machines' limitations.

Man where was this this video 2 weeks ago? Lol my fridge just quit.

Great video. Just curious to know where you got that sweater??

"oh yeahh, i can fit three fingers in there" hahaha

Wow 😳 back ground music

Here in Europe build in fridges are the norm. They are about same price as regular ones.

Yeah it may run for a few years, but eventually the increased duty cycles from poor ventilation will cause it to deteriorate faster than if it had proper ventilation.

Many beverage coolers and wine fridges need greater clearances. Unless you buy one that is made to be installed in a confined space.

You left us hanging on whatever the fence question was. I guess we'll just have to watch every video until you address it!

Yep, you're right on that fridge and most modern ones. You mainly just have to know where your coils are at. If they are underneath, ventilation doesn't really matter. If they are on the back, then that's where the clearance and ventilation issues may occur and you probably wouldn't want to build in your fridge.

Love the built in montage! What bothered me is that there was one that the doors in the montage wasn't adjusted . I'm not gonna go back and find it but my eye is drawn to that kind of stuff, being that I was in charge of the punch lists!

WHATS THE FENCE QUESTION. IM DYING

Lol. Pretty sure u answered the ressesed question.

More common where I work for us to build the fridge in than not too. I could probably count on 1 hand all the kitchens I didn't in the last 10 years. LOL Never would have thought this was an issue.

Air flow is very important. heat is the killer of of refrigerators.

💯👍👍

What if i dont have clearance on the sides but i have on the top and bottom? Will it still be adequate?

The venting is on the bottom!

We have an Amana french door refrigerator. The front coils are easy to clean with the vacuum's attachments, but the coils BEHIND them are impossible to clean and will be eternally dusty I suppose. No, I'm NOT going to use compressed air to blow all of that dust into the room, either.

Next thing you know you're going to tell me my window A/C unit has to be set in a window to vent outside when I know better because I've had mine sitting in my living room running and it isn't in a window at all. Now, on to serious questions like: How do I address water damage to a floor caused by condensation from a window A/C unit?

Once you said stretch it to ten minutes I had to put the phone down and continue spraying some radiator covers. And then the music kicked in. All I could think was “OH MAN! He probably has a cool fast-forward-speed montage going of him demoing the kitchen!” Got done....came back to the video, laughed my butt off! Thanks for that. Have one for me Handyman!

for extra entertainment, rewatch the fridge montage while thinking about whether all the handles are making a smiley fridge or a frowny fridge.

Had to pull someone's fridge out one time, was in so tight it took two of us to pull it out.

Those cabinet faces on fridge doors are disturbing, I dont know why...

Hey Handyman! I have been following your channel for a while, you do very good work and I appreciate the information you share. Could you perhaps do a video on dealing with "difficult" clients? I am trying to expand my client base and just landed a new client who is pretty wealthy and lives in a 5,880 sq. ft. home. She is very critical to my growth, however, she is VERY difficult to work for (she has major OCD). I am so exhausted and stressed out after working a day at her "home", that I literally don't want to go back. However, I really need her business. Perhaps you have had similar experiences in the past....I'd appreciate your feedback. Thank you.

Can having no space cause the fridge to get damaged ? 🥺 the lights in mine are blinking and my freezer is warm inside

It’s just me but I thought the got there ventilation from the bottom anyway. 🤷🏻‍♂️

many newer refrigerator coils are on the bottom. all the clearance they need are the height at which it sits off the floor. just need to vacuum them out every now and then to keep junk from clogging them up.

My fridge clearances said 4 feet in every direction. So we hung it from a tree.

Remodeled kitchens and baths for nesr 35 years, fridges dont need ventilation

refrigerators do not make things cold....they remove heat from things..

Awww! My own video! Parttttyyy!

That was a sexy montage at the end. Perhaps we can send in our own hot amateur pics of built in fridges for you to show next time.

I'm currently watching the second half of your video, not because I want to, but because I like you and want to help your analytics. Also I'm bored.

i`ve been trigerd by another handyman frig install,the only thing i need is shot of those shoes your sporting------------> triggered

4:58 The louvers are an indulgence, and non-operational for most people. More the look, than it is function. They see it in some Kardashian kitchen, they want the same look. Silly.

lol, three minutes of fridges and music. I'll be damned if this video isn't ten minutes!

Armchair Quarterbacks…

Your song sounds like a Shaft knock-off. i know that Google penalizes for published songs.

Fridge porn !