Don't cut your cabinet frame to vent refrigerator! Do this instead!

[@brandonstahl3562]

You should put a false back on it. Keep dust and possible pests out of your cabinet.

[@Koolbob2]

@brandonstahl3562 Good points and I'm still considering that option. My primary hesitation is the interior of the cabinets are very rough and I can see the chase between the false back and the back of the cabinet gathering dust bunnies in no time. I'd need to pull the refrigerator out and shimmy back behind it and remove the dust bunnies with a duster on a long stick periodically. As it is the only downside is the items in the cabinet will get dusty, but I can clean them a step ladder and without having to move the refrigerator.

[@chrisjudge31]

Nice looking result

[@Koolbob2]

Thank you! I'm WAY behind on shooting and editing! The new refrigerator arrived almost a month ago and I'm working on a video review of the refrigerator, it looks great installed and the rear cabinet venting is working perfectly!

[@johngrasing1715]

Good job!

[@Koolbob2]

Thanks! If you haven't already subscribed, please consider doing so!

[@steverobbins4872]

I like your idea to cut vents in the cabinet to let hot air rise up. But how does cool air get behind the refrigerator? To get circulation you need an inlet as well as an exhaust. Is their an air gap under the fridge?

[@RickeyBelafonte]

Airflow is required only to dissipate heat from the condenser, which in the large majority of units nowadays is located at the bottom with a fan that pulls air in from the toekick at the lower front at one side (left or right), through the condenser coil, and blows it out the toekick at the other side. Rear clearance is probably only for the water line connection. Lower-end models that still have the condenser mounted on the back without a fan require space all around the unit for passive airflow to dissipate heat.

[@Koolbob2]

@steverobbins4872, @RickeyBelafonte is correct, the unit is designed to draw air in under the toe kick. The space requirements for the refrigerator are 1/8" clearance on each side and, a 1" clearance between the unit and the back wall and a 1" gap between the unit and the cabinet frame. The cooling air for the unit is supposed to come in under the toe kick, rise up behind the unit, make another 90-degree turn and come across the top and out the front between a 1" gap below the cabinet frame. By opening up a 2.5" slot in the back of the shelf and top of the cabinet, I've provided a much larger and shorter vent path than required.

[@pasqualeparente9776]

Use a router to remove some of the wood above you refrigerator. This is easily accomplished with a straight router bit with a bearing as guide. this will accomplish most of the work until the size of the router stops you from the end.

[@Koolbob2]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Routing the rail above the refrigerator was my initial plan, but I would have needed to remove a lot of material to achieve the recommended ventilation. There's not too much weight stored on the shelf that is supported by the rail, but it would have left just a sliver of wood showing below the cabinet doors and I was concerned that would look odd. Creating the vent up the rear of cabinet was probably more work, but not cutting the rail looks better. In fact the fridge almost looks like a custom install.

[@trip1ex]

You got me thinking that drilling a few rows of holes at the back of the cabinet would accomplish the same goal. Either with a larger drill bit or smaller hole saw. Probably just a 3/8” drill bit. Make a stencil. Use it for top and bottom. Would be good enough for venting while keeping structure solid and stuff from falling through. Also to help cut down on dust, cover the holes on top of cabinet with a 1-3” tall cover with an open side towards the front.

[@Koolbob2]

I had the same thought, but decided to go for the big slot all the way across. I'm not feeling a lot of air movement through the slot, so I think the new refrigerator doesn't circulate as much air as my old one did. I'd be concerned that 3/8" holes will be too small and might clog with dust too easily. I'd suggest drilling at least a dozen 1" holes with a hole saw. More holes or even larger than 1" would be better IMHO. The angled cover I put over the holes in the top of the cabinet is shielding a lot of dust from falling into the cabinet from above and since it's stained to match the cabinet you hardly notice the slot at the back of the cabinet when you open the cabinet doors.