Fridgefreezer fitting nightmare. Please help!

5 years ago

We bought a Samsung RB8000 60cms fridgefreezer for our new kitchen, which we designed so the appliance would have cabinetry fitted about 1.5 cms max around it, allowing it to be moved out if needed. This is how it's shown and described in Samsung adverts. It's finished apart from the fridgefreezer but by chance I checked with Samsung who say the Operating Manual (p20) recommends leaving 5cms each side and 10 above! They say anything less is at my own risk but I should realise a fridge needs ventilation! We only have 67 cms left anyway but I'm livid about this. I feel tricked - it was expensive and now we can't use it as advertised. Anyone know anything about this? I'd be really grateful - our poor fitter is waiting to finish! Thanks a lot.

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fclarkson
Original Author

5 years ago

Just an update - Lifestyle Kitchens, thank you so much! You're right. Page 58 clearly shows how to put this model in a fitted cabinet. Samsung now confirm this is correct! It's enough to make my brain fizz! Anyway, because of this our fitter can now go ahead and finish the boxing in. I'll post some photos of the finished job.

Just one other thing, because several people kindly pointed it out - the appliance doors open away from the wall anyway as that's the way my other half prefers it, which is not how I would do it but it's a lucky compromise, as it happens. Definitely not the designer's fault.

Once again, thank you to you all who helped and a very big thank you to Lifestyle Kitchens. Have a good Christmas!

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Comments (15)

PRO
OnePlan
5 years ago
This is something that point out to clients over and over ( twice this week alone !) and is one of the reasons I usually recommend integrated appliances instead of freestanding.

Is the 67cm gap to a return wall one side ? As if it is - you may have trouble if you intended the hinge to be in same side as the return wall - as 7cm isn’t enough space to open the door fully either . Meaning you won’t be able to alter or remove shelving.

Without seeing your plan - I’m guessing that one of two options can fix this ... return the fridge and order an integrated one and cabinet to suit. Or replace a wall and base cabinet in the run with a smaller one to give you 170mm gap instead of 70mm.

Hope this helps a bit !
fclarkson
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks. Unfortunately the kitchen has just been installed. I'll try to get you a better photo (I'm not there at the moment) and it's actually finished apart from this corner You can just see the wall on the other side of the fridge, and there's a tall panel finishing off the run of units with the microwave above and the dishwasher below. The fitter left boxing in the fridgefreezer till last as the other tall panel for the boxing hadn't been sent. so, as you can (just) see - there's only 67 cms between the wall and the now fixed tall panel. Everything else is fixed in place! If I'd known there was a problem fitting these fridges as advertised we would have gone for an integrated one, but we've used it for a few months before the build. The other photo is a Samsung advert for the exact same fridgefreezer! This is exactly how we were planning to have ours. They even advertise that they have special hinges so that you can build the cabinets right up flush with them! There must be loads of people who've already installed them like this and won't know they have a problem till they overheat! Can't help feeling it's a case of mis-selling.
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Thank you for the answers. What is the length of the wall separating the kitchen and the hall? She could possibly put the fridge next (under) to your current X and put some over the counter storage (larder/appliances store) where the X is... With the boxing of the fridge lining up with the door wall, she can then put a small dresser/sideboard in front of that full width, next to the door. Those two combined should add a good amount of storage. If this works but she still thinks she needs more storage, or if the dimensions don't fit, then a U shape kitchen indeed, but don't make the new length go too far... you want to be able to get in an out of the kitchen space easily! Add a table against it as Minnie and Jen P suggest, possibly with a built-in bench (with storage inside) against the left wall... The joinery could even continue all the way down to the window wall as bookshelves or any other type of storage... Good plan to play with an existing sofa for now. Stainless steel sinks are ok, hopefully it will be an undermount. These decisions are pretty daunting I know but also very exciting!
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fclarkson
Original Author
5 years ago
I'm at the doorway and the wall is to my left.
PRO
OnePlan
5 years ago
To be honest - who ever supplied the kitchen should have picked up on it and advised you too. Did they design it - or did you design it yourselves ?
Diego
5 years ago
I agree with One Plan that this should have been spotted by the designer, however I also think that Samsung are seriously misleading people with this advert. I feel for you :-( hope you get it sorted soon
fclarkson
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you, Oneplan and Diego. I can't really blame the designers - we bought the fridgefreezer first because we really liked it and had the kitchen designed around it, in a way. We told all the designers we had this fridge that was special because you could loosely box it in, and they must have believed the advertising the same as we did because not one said, you'll have a problem there. I feel it's like buying a new car because all the adverts show them pulling caravans and they say it's got a special reinforced chassis etc, and then finding out page 20 of the Operating Manual says it's got no facility for a tow-bar but I can fit one at my own risk but if it damages the car, it's down to me!
Thanks for the moral support, though.
fclarkson
Original Author
5 years ago
Sorry to labour the point but I've just found another advert for the self same fridgefreezer. I wouldn't mind so much but it was £1200!
minnie101
5 years ago
I'm a bit confused as their own website seems to clearly state this is a new type of technology for a freestanding FF which can be fitted flush to kitchen furniture. I would escalate this at Samsung as clearly it is false advertising if what you were told on the phone is correct so you should be able to seek compensation unless of course they simply haven't updated their operating manual for this new technology (which could be a possibility)

https://www.samsung.com/uk/refrigerators/fridge-freezer-rb36j8799s4/

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/misrepresentation-act-1967
fclarkson
Original Author
5 years ago
Minie101 - thank you so much for the info attached. That's exactly what I needed. I'm glad you see why I'm so upset. and, yes, I did think it was a simple mistake and they hadn't updated their Operating Manual. I kept telling Samsung Tech services this, but they just kept coming back with the same stock phrase, 'Samsung recommend leaving 50 mm either side of the appliance'. They're all so polite it's difficult to get angry with them, but the answer never changes. I've had the same phone conversation with 4 different people so far, supposedly each one higher rank than the last. The last one, who was a manager in tech customer service told me, faultlessly politely, I was now the owner, if I wanted to build cabinets around the appliance I could. In fact, I could do what I wanted with it! I said, brilliant. Can you give me a written assurance that it's safe to do that because otherwise it might invalidate my house insurance (plus, after Grenfell Tower, I wouldn't want to risk anyone's life ). Oh no, he said, Samsung recommends a gap of 50 mm either side, for ventilation! It's like something out of Groundog Day. Or Kafka! I've got a formal complaint in with them at the moment and I'll see what they come back with by Tuesday. I keep thinking, this is their flagship range. They can't have got it this wrong, surely?
minnie101
5 years ago
Formal complaint is definitely the way to go. I can't help thinking despite the number of conversations you've been given duff information as I expect they're all just quoting from the operating manual as they are clearly promoting new technology which doesn't require ventilation space. I also can't see anything on the website suggesting anything other than it being intended as a flush fit and clearly you wouldn't receive the operating Manuel until purchased. I'm sure you will get this resolved now it's been raised as a formal complaint.
PRO
OnePlan
5 years ago
It looks to me on that advertisement that it has a 50mm furniture trim frame around it - is 50mm on both sides - probably with air gap behind ( so trim is maybe only 20-75mm thick or similar ? Still doesn’t get over the fact that you will have to have the hinge away from the wall rather than on the wall side - which the designers still should have pointed out to you.
PRO
Lifestyle Kitchens
5 years ago
Just looked at the installation manual (RB33J8* / RB36J8* / RB38J7* / RB41J7* hope thats the right one) and the way i read it that on page 18, for the energy saving tips, to have the 50mm space all at sides and back, 100mm at the top is to meet samsungs claimed energy consumption.

but if you look at the installation page 58 it explains the recommended ventilation required if the fridge is fitted with cabinets around it, it looks like it will fit in a 600mm space providing it has a 10mm space to the back, 30mm gap at the top, if the top is enclosed a 400x50 cut out and cut outs at the bottom/sides of 220*200, the only issue are the 220x200 cutouts to the bottom sides as this is into the units either side so really you only have 150 to use here.

as others have stated you may well still have an issue with the door swing and getting baskets out so the door might have to be reversed.

to be fair to the designer though appliance manufacturers make it really hard work for designers to find any cabinet requirements on line and a lot of the instructions are so poorly written that when your fitter comes to have a look at installation instructions it makes no sense at all as it just contradicts its self
fclarkson
Original Author
5 years ago
Lifestyle Kitchens - thank you so much! I think you've found the information Samsung Tech dept couldn't find! I'll send this to the fitter and see if he agrees. I'll post an update. Thank you again!
PRO
Lifestyle Kitchens
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Thats great, so glad everything is now sorted for you and your fitter can now get everything finished for you (hopefully before xmas) and you can finally enjoy your new kitchen.

Wishing you and your family a good xmas as well.

Fridgefreezer fitting nightmare. Please help!

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