To replace an integrated fridge freezer without changing the kitchen, the new model has to match the old one in five ways. These are the size of housing it is designed for (the niche), the split between its fridge and freezer doors, the hinge system that carries the kitchen doors, the hinge side, and the ventilation route through the housing. The brand, energy rating and interior layout can all change. If those five match, the swap is a straightforward fitting job. If one doesn’t, the kitchen doors or the housing usually have to change as well.
Start with the old appliance, not the shop
The quickest route to a match is the old fridge freezer’s model number. It is printed on the rating plate, usually a label on an inside wall of the fridge compartment, sometimes low down behind the salad drawers. With the model number, the manufacturer’s installation instructions or specification sheet will give you the figures you need to compare.
Two things are worth knowing when you read them:
- Niche dimensions are not product dimensions. The product size is the appliance itself. The niche (or installation) size is the housing opening it needs, usually with a tolerance. Compare niche figures with niche figures.
- If the label is unreadable or the old appliance has already gone, measure the housing instead. Measure the height inside the opening on both sides, the width at the top and bottom, and the depth. Then measure the height of each kitchen door and the gap between them.
When an old appliance fails and food is at risk, it is tempting to order the first integrated model in stock. Ten minutes spent checking these figures can save weeks of waiting for new kitchen doors.
The match sheet
| What to match | Where to find it | If it doesn’t match |
|---|---|---|
| Niche height | Old model’s instructions, or measure the housing | A taller model won’t fit. A shorter one leaves a gap, and its doors may not line up with the kitchen doors |
| Niche width and depth | As above | Usually standard, but older or made-to-measure housings can differ, so check rather than assume |
| Door split (for example 50/50, 60/40 or 70/30) | Specification sheet, or compare the heights of the two kitchen doors | The joint between the appliance doors won’t line up with the gap between the kitchen doors. This usually means new kitchen doors |
| Hinge system (sliding hinge or fixed door) | Open the fridge and look at how the kitchen door is attached to the appliance door | The kitchen doors may need refixing in a different way, and how they hang and open can change |
| Hinge side | Which side the doors open from now | Many integrated models can be reversed, but check before ordering. Reversing adds fitting time |
| Ventilation route | Look for a plinth vent, a gap behind the housing and an outlet at the top | A model that needs a different airflow path may run constantly or struggle to hold its temperature in the old housing |
| Weight of the kitchen doors | Some installation instructions give a maximum weight for the furniture doors | Heavy doors on a model with a low limit can put a strain on the hinges |
| Socket position | Behind or beside the housing | This doesn’t affect the fit. If the socket can only be reached by pulling the appliance out, though, the swap is a good time to change that |
Why the split and the hinge system matter so much, and how sliding-hinge and fixed-door systems differ, is explained on our fridge freezer installation page.
What doesn’t need to match
Once those points are covered, you have more freedom than people expect. The appliance’s own front is hidden behind the kitchen doors, so its colour and finish don’t matter. The brand can change, as can the energy rating, frost-free or manual-defrost operation, and the shelf and drawer layout. Capacity can also vary between models that fit the same niche, so a like-for-like housing doesn’t mean a like-for-like fridge.
When nothing matches exactly
Older or discontinued models sometimes have no direct replacement. The realistic options, roughly from least to most work:
Right niche and split, different hinge system
This is often workable. The new appliance comes with its own fixing kit, and the kitchen doors are refixed to suit it, which can mean new fixing positions on the back of the doors. It is worth checking that the existing doors are in good enough condition to be drilled and refixed.
Right niche, different split
The appliance will fit the housing, but the kitchen doors will be the wrong heights. New doors cut to the new split are the tidy answer. Whether they will match depends on whether the kitchen range is still available. Panels from discontinued ranges can be hard to match, which is one of the long-term trade-offs covered in our guide to integrated vs freestanding appliances.
Different niche height
A small difference can sometimes be absorbed by adjusting a shelf above the appliance or the plinth below it. A significantly taller or shorter model usually means altering or replacing the tall housing and its doors, which becomes a kitchen job rather than an appliance swap.
Switching to freestanding
This is possible in some kitchens, but it is less simple than it sounds. A freestanding fridge freezer can’t take kitchen door panels, and many need clear space at the sides and top to lose heat, so boxing one into an old housing is often against the manufacturer’s instructions. It usually works best where the housing is removed altogether.
Before the old one comes out
- Photograph how the kitchen doors are attached, including the runners or brackets, before anything is taken apart.
- Look after the kitchen doors. They are part of the kitchen, not the appliance, and replacing a damaged one can be the hardest part of the job.
- Note the plinth vent and any gap at the back of the housing, so the airflow is the same or better once the new model is in.
- Keep the old model number with the new appliance’s paperwork. It makes the next replacement much easier.
Voltify Contractors replaces integrated and freestanding models through our fridge freezer installation service. Sending the old and new model numbers, a photo of the housing with the doors open and the measurements of the opening is the quickest way to find out what the swap involves. For other built-in appliances in the same kitchen, see integrated appliance installation.
