How to Install a JVM140 GE Microwave

Measure the distance between the full height wall cabinets above your range with a steel measuring tape; this gap must be at least 30 inches wide and free of obstructions. If the gap is wider, use a GM filler panel kit to fill the gaps between the microwave oven and the adjacent cabinets after installation.

Locate the position of the wall studs inside the gap with an electronic stud finder. Move the instrument across the wall; when it reaches the edge of a stud, it will beep. Since the standard distance between wall studs is either 16 inches or 24 four inches, you will find at least one wall stud inside the gap. Mark the outside edges of this wall stud with a pencil and use a spirit level to draw two vertical lines up the wall.

Measure the depth of the face-frame overhang protruding from below the wall cabinet above the range. Transfer this measurement to the wall, and draw a horizontal line across the gap with the aid of a spirit level with the bubble centered. Note: If your kitchen is fitted with European-style cabinets with no face frame and flush bottoms, disregard this step.

Mark the exact center point of the gap between the two side cabinets. Place the spirit level vertically against the wall with its edge on the mark, center the bubble and draw a line up the wall.

Place the mounting bracket against the wall with its top edge against the horizontal line below the upper cabinet. If you have European style cabinets, push the top edge of the mounting bracket upward against the back of the wall cabinet. Line up the notch on the lower arm of the mounting bracket with the vertical center line on the wall.

Trace circles onto the wall with the tip of a pencil through the holes in the mounting bracket marked A, B, C and D. Even though two of the outer circles may line up with a stud if you're lucky, draw a fifth circle through the hole in the lower horizontal arm that lines up with the center of the hidden stud between the adjacent cabinets.

Drill holes through the circles marked A, B, C and D with a cordless drill/driver, using a drill bit big enough for the toggle bolts provided to pass through the holes; if two of the edge circles happen to line up with a stud, drill a 3/16-inch pilot hole through the center of the circles and into the stud. Drill a 3/16-inch pilot hole through the fifth circle and into the stud.

Unscrew the toggle bolt wings to expose 1 inch of thread between the folded wings and the heads of the bolts. Place the mounting bracket against the wall; insert the toggle bolts through the mounting bracket and the dry wall until you hear the spring-loaded wings click outward. Line the top edge of the bracket up with the horizontal line on the wall, or push the mounting against the upper cabinet, whichever is applicable; tighten the toggle bolts securely with the cordless/driver and a screwdriver bit.

Insert a 1 1/2-inch wood screw into the fifth hole and any of the side holes that happen to line up with a stud; tighten the screw securely with the cordless drill/driver.

Tape the top template to the underside of the upper wall cabinet with masking tape. Follow the instructions printed on the template and drill the required holes through with the cordless drill/driver. Use a hole saw to bore the large hole for the power cord.

Remove the screws holding the blower plate to the blower unit with a screwdriver. Lift the blower plate together with its attached exhaust adapter from the microwave. Remove the exhaust adapter by sliding it sideways.

Undo the screw-holding blower unit to the back of the microwave and pull the blower unit out from the top of the microwave oven. Roll the blower unit through 90 degrees to line up the fan blade openings with the front of the microwave. Keep the fan wires routed inside grooves on the motor frame, and push the blower unit back into its recess.

Replace the blower plate, insert the screws removed earlier and tighten them securely with the screwdriver. Replace the attaching screw to the back of the microwave and tighten it securely.

Prepare three 1-inch-square wood filler blocks the same thickness as the face-frame overhang protruding below the upper wall cabinet; drill a 15/64-inch hole through the middle of each spacer block. These blocks are required to fill the gap between the top of the microwave and the upper cabinet. Note: this step is not necessary if your kitchen has frameless European style cabinets and the mounting frame screwed to the wall is resting against the bottom of the upper cabinet.

Lift the microwave oven with the help of an assistant. Tilt the microwave forward and hook the slots on the bottom rear of the microwave into the tabs on the lower arm of the mounting bracket. Feed the power cord through the large hole in the upper cabinet. Insert the three self-aligning screws provided through the holes in the upper cabinet from the top.

Thread the 1/4-inch, self-aligning screws provided all the way through the 15/64-inch holes in the spacer blocks to hold them in place while you install the microwave; this is only necessary if spacer blocks are required.

Rotate the microwave flush against the underside of the upper cabinet while pulling on the power cord to prevent it from kinking. Wiggle the self-aligning screws until they fit into the holes on top of the microwave. Thread the screw onto the top of the microwave by turning the heads two full turns with a Philips screwdriver. Tug the power cord gently to ensure that it isn't trapped between the microwave oven and the cabinet before plugging the cord into the wall socket.

Push the microwave up against the top cabinet and tighten the two outer self-aligning screws securely with the Phillips screwdriver, then tighten the middle screw the same way. Install the charcoal filter into the front of the microwave as directed in the installation manual to complete the installation.