How to Change a Double Wall Oven to a Microwave Oven Combination

Remove Electrical Wall Ovens

• 1

  Turn off the electricity to the kitchen and ovens. Check to make sure there is no electricity going to the ovens using a wire test kit. Gas units require a licensed plumber. Gas must be turned off before the ovens can be removed. Some local codes require a licensed electrician to turn off, disconnect and reconnect wiring to double ovens. If your home is more than 10 years old, the wiring may need to be replaced to properly service your new units, and this will require an electrician.

• 2

  Remove the doors on the existing ovens. Usually you will need to open the door halfway and pull the door away from the oven. Some doors have a screw at the hinge area. Some doors have a safety lever on one hinge that has to be depressed to release the door. Remove the interior racks and any loose items.

• 3

  Unscrew the trim side pieces around the perimeter of the ovens using a Phillips-head screwdriver. Open the cabinet above the ovens, and unscrew the ovens from the top mounting screws. There are often four screws through the top of the ovens. Disconnect the vent pipe that may be on one side of the unit. Your unit may reuse this pipe system if it is required by your manufacturer. Look for an electrical junction box at the rear of the cabinet. This has two conduit or metal wrapped tubes feeding into the box. One is the house wiring, and the other is the oven wiring. Unscrew the face of the box with your screwdriver and gently pull the oven wires forward. Unscrew the wire nuts that join the wires, and pull the oven conduit and wiring free from the junction box.

• 4

  Position one person on each side of the double ovens, and slide the ovens forward. Double ovens typically weigh between 200 and 250 pounds. Lift and lower the ovens to the floor and onto a waiting hand truck to remove the ovens from the kitchen.

Install New Wall Ovens

• 5

  Check the wiring size and requirements listed by the manufacturer on your new appliances. The house wiring must match the requirements exactly. If you are unsure, contact a licensed electrician to determine whether your existing wiring is appropriate for your new ovens.

• 6

  Check the width of your cabinet opening. Ovens are sold in standard widths, and you should have purchased new ovens that are the same width as your cabinet. Nonetheless, often you will need to trim the cabinet opening to the new size. Measure the width of your existing cabinet opening face. Compare that figure with the width you need. Subtract what you have from what you need, and divide that amount in half. Measure and mark each side with the same amount. Use a small circular saw to cut the opening wider. Your cabinet opening can be up to 1 inch wider than necessary if it is already too wide.

• 7

  Move the new ovens into the kitchen, and remove the packaging. Remove the oven door by tilting the door half open, finding the latches on the hinge assembly, rotating the latch to the unlatched position and pulling the door away. Remove all the loose pieces from both ovens.

• 8

  Feed the oven conduit through the hole in the cabinet to the junction box. Install a CSA conduit connection to the box. This may be part of the conduit. In some cases you need to change your conduit box to a new one to accommodate the proper connections. Attach your wires based on the instructions provided with your ovens. In general, you will have three or four wires. Match the white wire with the white wire, and twist the ends of the wire together with a wire nut. Match the black house wire with the black oven wire, match the red house wire with the red oven wire, match the ground wires together. Twist and use wire nuts on each pair. Screw the cover on the junction box.

• 9

  Slide the new ovens into the existing opening. It is likely that the new ovens will not be as tall as the previous ovens, and this may leave an opening above the top oven. Have your helper hold the oven in place. Position the top trim kit piece over the oven. Make a light pencil mark on each side of the cabinet face, and remove the ovens.

• 10

  Measure the width of the opening between each edge of the cabinet facing. Most home improvement stores sell cabinet spacers in the most common cabinet finishes. Match the spacer and drawer material to that of your cabinet. Cut the spacer to your measurement. Turn the spacer face down, and attach a flat metal bracket extending horizontally from each end. Use small screws that will not penetrate the front of the facing. Insert the facing into the cabinet at your side marks and level.

• 11

  Screw the brackets to the cabinet facing on each side. This may leave a gap of several inches above the spacer. The spacer bar creates a break between the top of the oven and the gap. Select a drawer blank in the same color and finish as your cabinet face. Apply construction adhesive around the back inside edge of the drawer blank, and press the blank over the opening, making sure it is centered and level. Use tape to help hold the drawer blank in place while the glue dries. Stretch the tape horizontally and vertically to attach to the cabinet on each side of the drawer blank. A drawer blank is just the face of a drawer.

• 12

  Slide the ovens into place. Screw the ovens at each of the attachment points for your model. Typically there will be four mounting holes on the front flanges of the ovens. Attach your trim pieces. These often snap into place over brackets around the perimeter of the ovens.