Moving a 700 Series Into New Cabinetry

Before it leaves the old opening

We test the seals, read the temperatures and note the model and serial from the plate left of the upper drawer while the old kitchen still stands. A worn gasket or a weak compartment found after the move looks like damage from the move, and nobody can then say which it was. Parts the unit already needs are ordered against the tag ahead of the move.

What the new opening has to give it

• Air to the condenser. The condenser sits behind the kickplate, and the kickplate must stay removable for service, with no floor or trim blocking it. A decorative front may not cover its louvres.
• Power and water. A separate circuit that serves only this unit, and for ice-maker models a supply line with an easy-to-reach shut-off. Those belong to the electrician and the plumber.
• Anti-tip bracket. The new opening needs its own, fixed before the unit rolls in.
• Neighbours. Two units side by side need Sub-Zero’s dual installation kit, or at least a 2-inch filler strip between them.
• Swing. The door opens to 105 degrees. A door that would strike a wall, or a panel thicker than 3/4 inch with a reveal under 1/4 inch, calls for the 90-degree stop built into the hinges.

After it goes in

We read the level first, because the guide ties a cabinet set off level to doors that do not close properly. Then the reveals, which the guide shows at 1/8 inch as typical, then the paper test round every seal, then the temperatures against the readings taken before the move.

Who does what

Moving and setting the cabinet, the bracket, the wiring and the water line belong to the installer and the trades. New panels belong to the cabinetmaker. Our part is the unit itself: how it stood before the remodel, and whether its seals and cooling came through it.