A refrigerator can be next to the stove. However, the heat produced will force your refrigerators’ compressor to work harder than it needs to keep the contents cold, leading to increased power consumption and higher energy bills.
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Reasons Not To Put A Refrigerator Next To The Stove
There are several reasons not to expose your refrigerator to a heat source. We’ve highlighted some of the main reasons below.
Reduces Efficiency
The heat emanating from your stove or oven can cause the refrigerator’s compressor to work harder than it should, reducing its efficiency as the compressor becomes overworked, leading to higher energy bills.
Poor Cooling Performance
Suppose a refrigerator’s compressor works more than it needs to. In that case, you’ll eventually discover that the fridge can’t cool properly, leading to food losing its freshness.
Reduces The Lifespan Of The Refrigerator
A refrigerator can only last as long as its compressor. With most modern refrigerators, it typically makes more sense to buy a new one rather than pay for a new compressor. Keep your fridge away from a heat source to increase its lifespan.
It’s A Fire Hazard
An overworked compressor can become a fire hazard if it heats up considerably. Avoid the problem altogether by placing your fridge and stove far enough away from one another.
What To Consider When Placing Your Refrigerator
When deciding where to place your refrigerator, you can’t decide solely based on aesthetics. You need to take safety into account as well.
If you’re designing your kitchen, use these ideas to help you place the refrigerator in the safest and most efficient position.
Ventilation
Make sure plenty of space exists on each side and at the rear of your refrigerator. Maintain at least two inches of space between the wall and each side of your refrigerator. Stay mindful of the coils at the rear of the refrigerator if you have them.
Sunlight
Don’t ever place your refrigerator where direct sunlight can reach. The reasons to avoid this are the same reasons you want to keep it away from the oven. The sun heats the area and causes the refrigerator’s compressor to work too hard.
Once again, you’ll experience the same inefficiency issue and an increased energy bill.
The Manufacturing Date Of Your Fridge And Oven
How old are your kitchen appliances? If they’re pretty old, that’s even more reason to keep the refrigerator and oven separate.
An older oven might not seal as well as a newer model. In this case, more heat escapes and can cause more damage to the fridge.
Consider separating these two appliances by a reasonable distance if they’re both older models.
What If I Have A Small Kitchen?
If your kitchen is small, you might have no choice but to place your fridge next to your stove. Here are some ideas for mitigating the dangers in this case.
Install A Kitchen Hood
Hang a kitchen hood above your oven and stove to help remove heat and smoke more effectively from the kitchen. Reducing heat produced by the stove will help keep your nearby refrigerator cooler.
Install A Separating Material
Using a separating material, you can try insulating the refrigerator from the oven’s heat. It creates an extra barrier, or wall, between the two kitchen appliances. Go to one of your local box stores, Lowes or Home Depot, and look for a durable separating material.
Select some reflective foil insulation. This material isn’t typically expensive but works well to keep the stove’s heat from reaching the refrigerator and causing compressor problems. Many manufacturers today make reflective foil that is:
- Not carcinogenic or toxic
- Lightweight, yet strong enough to hold up for extended periods
- Easy to measure, cut, and install without glue or nails
- Waterproof
Go Smaller
Instead of squeezing large refrigerators or stoves into a small kitchen, consider reducing the size of your appliances.
Replace that large oven with a model that’s a bit smaller. Can you find space elsewhere? How about installing a smaller sink or fitting in a less bulky dishwasher that might free up some extra space?
Where Should I Place My Refrigerator?
You want to place the refrigerator as far away from the oven as possible. The kitchen triangle is one of the most tried and true methods of finding the best place to place your refrigerator.
The Kitchen Triangle
Also called “the working triangle” or “the golden triangle,” the kitchen triangle concept works well when laying out your kitchen’s floor plan. It’s a decades-old technique built around creating a triangle of a kitchen’s three main work areas.
These three areas are:
- Sink
- Stove
- Refrigerator
If you position these three areas with the triangle in mind, it helps keep the fridge and oven separated and creates a nice traffic flow throughout your kitchen.
You’ll find that using the kitchen triangle layout prevents the ovens’ heat from affecting the refrigerator.
How Much Space Do You Need To Maintain Around A Stove?
You should maintain 15 to 18 inches of counter space between your oven and other major appliances like a refrigerator.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve covered whether you should put a stove next to the fridge. In short, yes, you can, but doing so may result in your refrigerator compressor working harder than it needs to keep the contents of your fridge cool.
