Choose a built-in appliance if you’ve checked the housing, door front, ventilation and connections for the specific model. If these details are still to be decided, a freestanding appliance means you won’t need to rely on a cabinet front, but you’ll still need to check the space and connections. Before ordering, measure the available space and compare it with the installation instructions. If you’re choosing a cooker hood or gas appliance, have the relevant ventilation and installation checked too.
Decide which appliances you need and how they must be installed before finalising the housings and door fronts. The NF EN 1116 standard published by AFNOR covers coordination between furniture and appliances, while Electrolux’s pre-installation guide advises checking measurements before delivery.
Check the available space and existing connections before deciding whether to keep a freestanding appliance or add a built-in model. Whirlpool notes that both types of dishwasher need suitable connections.
Check the ventilation and gas installation before choosing your hob and cooker hood. In France, Article 14 of the Order of 24 March 1982, published on Légifrance, sets out requirements including those for connecting powered cooker hoods to shared air outlets.
First decide which appliances need to fit into the units, then check the connections and ventilation before deciding where to put them. A product’s advertised width alone isn’t enough to confirm that a built-in model will fit.
| What matters | What to check | Consumers concerned |
|---|---|---|
| Housing and door front | Measure the internal dimensions and compare them with the model’s instructions. If the appliance is integrated, check the door-front fixings too. | If I’m ordering the units and appliances together, I want the door and appliance to fit together without modifying the cabinet; around 33% of consumers prioritise this integration. |
| Water and electricity | Locate the available water inlet, waste outlet and power supply. Have the necessary circuits checked before making any changes to the installation. | In an existing kitchen, I want to connect the appliances in their intended positions without discovering extra work is needed after delivery; around 27% of consumers put available connections first. |
| Ventilation and cooking | Check whether there is shared ventilation or an option to vent outside. If you’re cooking with gas, have the installation and airflow checked. | If I’m planning a cooker hood or gas appliance, I need to know which layout will work with my home’s ventilation; this is the main concern for around 27% of consumers. |
| Installation flexibility | Compare the space available for a freestanding appliance with the installation requirements of a built-in model, and remember to allow access for removal. | I’d rather be able to replace the appliance later without redoing a door front or cabinet; around 13% of consumers value this flexibility. |
Standard cabinet dimensions don’t guarantee that every appliance will fit. The instructions for the specific model give its measurements and installation requirements.
Record the housing measurements and check the door front, its fixings and the installation instructions before ordering the appliance or having the unit prepared.
An installation service may not include fitting the door front or work to the cabinets and connections. Electrolux’s pre-installation guide distinguishes these tasks from the work carried out by its installers.
Ask the retailer what the service includes. If needed, arrange carpentry, plumbing or electrical work separately.
In France, Article 14 of the Order of 24 March 1982, published on Légifrance, prohibits connecting an individual mechanical device, such as a cooker hood with a fan, to a shared air outlet system.
Check your home’s ventilation before choosing a cooker hood. If the air outlet is shared, find out what installation would be suitable.
Modifying an indoor gas installation involves more than checking the dimensions of a new hob or oven. GRDF says that an installer must provide a certificate of conformity after work on a new or existing gas installation.
Before ordering, ask the installer to confirm the work required, ventilation conditions and any applicable procedures.
Worth considering when the instructions for a built-in oven or dishwasher need to guide the preparation of your cabinets.
Worth considering if delivery and installation need to be coordinated with your kitchen preparation.
Worth considering when planning the space for a built-in or freestanding dishwasher.
Worth considering if your project uses units and door fronts from the METOD range.
These appliances illustrate some of the choices to make for your kitchen: an integrated or freestanding dishwasher, a built-in oven, a freestanding fridge freezer and an under-cabinet cooker hood. Check each model against the space and connections you have planned.
Image unavailable
Consider this if your kitchen is designed for an integrated dishwasher. This model is listed as energy class B. Check the instructions for the housing, door front, fixings and required connections.
Image unavailable
If you have a cabinet designed for a built-in oven, compare the installation dimensions with the housing before ordering. The model is listed at 2 100 W; have the planned power supply checked for installation.
Image unavailable
Consider this if you don’t want to hide your dishwasher behind a door front. This grey model is listed as energy class E. Check there’s room to open the door, and that water, waste and electricity connections are available.
Image unavailable
If you want your fridge freezer to sit independently of your kitchen door fronts, check that there’s room for its reversible door to open. The model name gives capacities of 153 L for the fridge and 74 L for the freezer, and a width of 54 cm. Check the height and ventilation clearances in the instructions too.
Image unavailable
Consider this if an under-cabinet cooker hood suits your kitchen layout. This model has push-button controls. Before choosing a ventilation method, check the instructions, the filter required and your home’s ventilation. Don’t connect a powered cooker hood to a shared air outlet.
No. You need to compare the exact model’s measurements and installation instructions with the housing and, if necessary, the door front. The NF EN 1116 standard published by AFNOR covers coordination between furniture and appliances, but it doesn’t by itself confirm that a particular model will fit.
No. In France, Article 14 of the Order of 24 March 1982, published on Légifrance, prohibits connecting an individual mechanical device, such as a cooker hood with a fan, to a shared air outlet system, whether it uses mechanical ventilation or natural draught.
First check that you can vent outside and that your home’s ventilation allows for the planned installation. Also check the air supply, whether there’s a combustion appliance and the installation dimensions given in the instructions. Electrolux recommends checking whether an external opening is possible before buying.
Not necessarily. It depends on the installation and the appliance you choose. Promotelec says that new or fully renovated installations provide dedicated circuits for several large kitchen appliances. Have the available circuit checked before making any changes.
Not always. Electrolux’s pre-installation guide notes, for example, that its installers don’t carry out carpentry, plumbing or electrical work. Check with the retailer what your booked service includes and what you need to prepare.