OK, who has ordered a fridge that doesn't fit into your kitchen?

13 years ago

Because we almost did! The layout supports a 36" wide fridge that is up to 33" deep. We are replacing a 30" w, 30" d fridge and of course were thrilled with the idea of more storage space! Yesterday we nearly settled on the Samsung RFG297AARS, a French door that is 36"w x 33"d.

Just today we realized that our two pocket doors are 27" and 29.xx" wide. Note that it is not 30" wide. My best guess is that they got this fridge in via the current outside door, which is just barely 30" wide. However, to get another 36" of counter and upper space, we had planned to close off that door and use a nearby exterior door. Here are the options that I see:

-Have the handyman cut out the 30" door as well as the moldings and adjacent few inches all the way to the el of the wall to make a 33" w opening. Dump old fridge, bring new fridge in, seal off door, then have no prayer of getting the thing out again in 10 or 20 years without cutting into our walls. We won't be here at the time, so it won't be our problem.

-Get a 30" w, 33" d fridge, bring it in through the same door, seal the door off, and have the same issue. However, removing the doors should allow egress of this fridge in the future

-Get a 33 or 36" w counter depth (28" or so) and bring it in without handles. The equivalent Samsung, the RFG237AA, is 23 cu ft instead of 29 cu ft and costs the same amount of money. The only options for a french door in these dimensions on AJMadison are Samsung and Electrolux for about $600 more.

-Look into a freestanding fridge that will fit plus an undercounter freezer? Have no idea if this is more expensive or not. We'll put the current top freezer fridge in the basement to replace the very old one down there, so we'll have that amount of extra freezer space.

Is there something that I'm missing? Please say so! I'm cranky that we seem to "have" to choose counter depth, which I have no desire for. And cutting into a wall with a pocket door adds pretty significant expense. Aargh!

Featured Answer

Janet Beck

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

ingenious way to get a big fridge through a doorway - without removing doors or handles!

I am in the process of remodeling my kitchen and just moved 2 fridges (side by side) through smaller doorways

Here's how:

Move the side of the fridge with the door hinge about 2-4 feet away from the outside of the doorway--enough so you can open the door of the fridge
Put a 4 wheel rolling dolly under the fridge
OPEN THE DOOR OF THE FRIDGE
With the door open, Roll the fridge part way through the door way, rotating it as needed
IF IT IS A SIDE BY SIDE, OPEN THE OTHER DOOR OF THE FRIDGE THAT IS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR
Roll the fridge the rest of the way through the doorway, rotating as needed.
There you go!

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Comments (14)

earthpal
13 years ago
We very nearly did. Went home to do one last check before ordering and discovered that the space in front of our frig spot wouldn't hold the regular depth Samsung similar to your choice. We have one of the Electroluxes that is 23 cubic feet and really do like it tho. It is more substantial in feeling tho it is the same size.

Do doublecheck the measurements of the coils in the back and to add a bit more for hands and fingers to squeeze thru!

We do, like so many others have posted, like the counterdepth because nothing gets lost in the frig. Freezer still has the possibility of burying something tho!

In the long run, I hope you will be happy with your new frig!
weissman
13 years ago
I don't know if you already accounted for this but they can usually remove the fridge doors to get it through the house doors if necessary.
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eandhl
13 years ago
What weissman said.
jorstad
13 years ago
we are considering that frig
take the doors off
good luck
palimpsest
13 years ago
I did a project where the LG counterdepth fridge was brought into the house right after demolition and stored in one of the bedrooms. When it came time to bring the fridge into the kitchen the demo'd opening was closed up and only the existing doors into the bedrooms remained, and they were 28" (27" with trim) and only 78" high. The fridge came out once the doors were off, but if it had been full depth they would have had to reopen the walls...it wouldnt have fit down the hallway either. This was a 1950 ranch house.
maks_2000
13 years ago
Apparently more people than you know have similar things happen. The sales guy told us they always get fridges back because they don't fit. We kept hoping someone was going to do so so that we could buy "floor model" -- unfortunately the CD don't happen as much.

Taking the door off sounds like a great idea! Good luck with your remodel.
ideagirl2
13 years ago
Another vote for taking the fridge door(s) off. Our contractors almost had to do that to get it into the kitchen, but as it happened we were planning on getting rid of the frame (there is no door in that doorway anymore), so my husband just pulled off the strips of framing on either side of the doorway (what the door rests against when it's closed), and we had the extra 3/4" we needed to feel like it was safe to bring the fridge through.

But the contractors had the tools necessary to take off the doors and would have done it if need be.
lithigin
Original Author
13 years ago
I guess I should measure the thickness of the doors; perhaps they are a full 3" or so, which I think is what I need. However, the Samsung has an integrated bottom freezer door with the shelves and such attached. I'll ask the appliance guy if that can be removed, but do you all believe it can? It has some fancy handle that lifts up to remove suction so you don't have to pull so hard on your freezer door. That makes it sound very precision, but perhaps it's common to remove a bottom freezer drawer/door setup as well as fridge doors.
maninthefridge
13 years ago
The fridge can be the trickiest appliance to get into the house. All your entrances and final resting space for the fridge should be accounted for before selection.
stir_fryi SE Mich
13 years ago
We did years ago. It was special order non-returnable. I hated the way it stuck out into the room so we had a kitchen addition added to the house so I could move it to another wall.

While moving the giant KA SS refrig back into the kitchen from the dining room -- my DH and friend put it on a dolly and the straps scratched the heck out of the door.

That is my sad story...
Deborah Hill
3 years ago
I have a kitchen doorway between dining room and kitchen that is tight 30 1/2 inches wide. Please tell me what size refrigerator would fit through unscathed?
Anand Chakru
2 years ago
https://youtu.be/YGiXAECny8g there you go!
Appliances Less
last year
Most standard depth fridges are 32-33 inches, without door 28.5- 29.5. This being said, you pretty much need 31 inches of clearance along the entire path from outside the house all the way to where the fridge sits. Counter Depths are 28-29inches, without door 24-25inches. Which makes them fit thru pretty much everywhere.