Understanding Embedded Appliance Design

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This article is reprinted from Designer’s Brain Cells, copyright belongs to the original author.

Appliances, especially in kitchen spaces and balconies, whether large or small, take up a lot of space. Cluttered appliances placed on countertops or standing against walls can make the space look very messy and uncomfortable. Thus, embedded design solves this pain point by hiding all appliances in cabinets or walls.

So, how should this kind of embedded appliance design be done? What factors need to be considered?

This article focuses on the following aspects of “embedded appliance” design:

1. What is embedded design?

2. Prerequisites for embedded appliance design

3. Scale requirements for embedded appliances

4. Design requirements for heat dissipation and water and electricity

ps: The full house water and electricity, switch socket CAD drawings file collection method is attached at the end of the article.

01. What is “embedded appliance” design

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It is to embed commonly used household appliances, such as refrigerators, ovens, steamers, microwaves, disinfectors, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, televisions, etc., all installed in custom cabinets or walls.

Thus, it saves space, makes the entire space look more cohesive, fresher, cleaner, and aesthetically pleasing, greatly improving the usability of the space and reducing waste of space.

02. Prerequisites for “embedded appliance” design

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Embedded appliance design is not suitable for all spaces; all designs should be realistic. Therefore, embedded appliance design needs to meet these conditions:

1. Sufficient space area

Generally, balcony spaces mostly adopt embedded design, embedding washing machines, dryers, and sinks into custom cabinets.

The biggest problem is the kitchen space. Embedded appliances do not mean tearing down part of the wall to stuff appliances in, but rather flexibly arranging the appliance positions from an overall perspective.

Essentially, it still occupies the kitchen’s own space area. The appliance doors and standing space require enough dimensions. Therefore, if the kitchen is too small, lacking storage and passage space, it will not be possible to execute embedded appliance design.

2. Client’s budget is sufficient

Embedding appliances involves higher costs for both the appliances themselves and custom cabinets than non-embedded designs. Therefore, the feasibility still depends on whether the client’s budget is sufficient.

3.Appliance dimensions and after-sales service

Embedded appliances differ from regular appliances; they require installation. The dimensions between the appliances and cabinets must be noted; otherwise, they will not fit. Additionally, after-sales issues must be considered for future maintenance and care.

03. Design size requirements

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Dimensions to consider for embedded appliances mainly include two aspects: cabinets and appliances.

1. Cabinet size requirements

When considering cabinet size design, the opening size of the appliances and the standing size of people must be taken into account. Appliances are generally embedded in base cabinets or tall cabinets; the conventional cabinet depth is about 600mm. After arranging the cabinets, ensure a passage size of ≥1200mm.

Embedded appliance doors generally open outward, so opening them will occupy passage dimensions. The opening size is about 500mm or more, and after opening, ensure sufficient standing space, generally at least 600mm wide. Therefore, for embedded appliance cabinets, the passage area must reach at least 1200mm to meet the requirements.

Passage area width ≥ appliance opening size + standing space

2.Appliance size requirements

As for which appliances need to be embedded and their sizes, all must be determined before making cabinets to facilitate the reservation of sizes and the early reservation of water and electricity sockets.

04. Design requirements for heat dissipation and water and electricity

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1)Heat dissipation design requirements

One important factor for these embedded appliances is heat dissipation, especially in enclosed cabinets, where the closed state slows down heat dissipation speed and affects efficiency.

On the other hand, high temperatures can negatively impact the cabinet itself. Different appliances have different heat dissipation methods and locations. Some dissipate heat from the back or bottom, while others dissipate heat in all directions; therefore, this must be considered during design.

The core logic of heat dissipation is: keep a distance between the appliance and the cabinet while protecting the cabinet.

Therefore, when reserving cabinet sizes, ensure that there is a certain distance between the appliance and the cabinet. Additionally, the choice of cabinet materials cannot be the same as that for regular cabinets; high-temperature and deformation-resistant materials must be selected. Alternatively, heat-insulating boards can be arranged inside the cabinet to prolong the appliance’s lifespan and protect the cabinet.

Different appliances have different heat dissipation measures and requirements

01. Oven

If the oven is to be embedded, it is best to choose a front-ventilated oven, and do not install a back panel in the cabinet where the oven is placed. Maintain a certain gap between the oven and the cabinet for ventilation and heat dissipation. The cabinet material must be heat-resistant.

If the oven is installed in a base cabinet, it must not be placed under the stove. Both gas stoves and ovens have high heat dissipation requirements, and placing them together can damage the appliances and even lead to safety accidents like explosions.

02. Microwave

The heat dissipation logic for microwaves is the same; they need to maintain a distance from surrounding cabinets. The distance between the microwave and the cabinet above should be at least 100mm, and the distance on the sides should be 50mm to achieve ventilation and heat dissipation. The microwave should also be of the front-ventilated type.

03. Disinfection cabinet

Disinfection cabinets are generally installed directly below the stove, maintaining a gap of ≥150mm between them. A square ventilation hole with a side length of 120mm should be reserved on the cabinet behind it for ventilation and heat dissipation.

04. Refrigerator

Embedded refrigerators have heat dissipation sources on both sides and the back, so they need to maintain a certain distance from the cabinet or wall, with a gap of at least 100mm.

2 )Water and electricity design requirements

01. Socket arrangement

It is necessary to consider the arrangement and placement of appliances in advance to design the sockets accordingly. Generally, sockets should be arranged on the side or in adjacent cabinets (pre-drilled holes are needed) to avoid placing them directly behind the appliances.

Why is that? Imagine if the appliance dissipates heat from the back, and the socket is also behind it; this can damage the appliance and pose safety risks.

From a dimensional perspective, if the socket is located behind the appliance, both the socket and plug have a certain thickness, which occupies part of the depth for embedding the appliance, leading to the appliance protruding from the cabinet when viewed from the outside, severely affecting the aesthetic effect.

02. Arrangement of water supply and drainage

Before making the cabinets, the positions of water supply and drainage pipes and the dimensions of the appliances should be reserved in advance. Remember, in cases of limited depth, do not place the water inlet directly behind the appliances,

otherwise, it will also lead to the appliance protruding, affecting aesthetics. The floor drain should not be placed directly below the appliance to avoid drainage issues; it should be arranged beside the appliance..

Summary.

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That’s it for today; I hope this content helps you. For more design tips, please visit the Design Get website (www.shejidedao.com) and search for learning.

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