How to install an OTR (over the range microwave)

Alright so here it is the long and the short of it!

Drop me a line if you need clarification on anything.

Hello all and I hope that 2008 has been a successful and prosperous new year thus far and continues to be one in the weeks and months to come!  

So for all of you who would like to free up some counter space and put that microwave above your stove/ range here is a little insight on how to accomplish this relatively easy task. This is for an OTR that is NOT vented outside but recirculates the exhaust air. I will write another snippet for outside exhausting one at a later date and time.  

**You will need to very first of all ensure that you have a proper power source to plug the unit into. If you do not have an outlet installed in the cabinet above where the OTR will go then you will have to contact an electrician to install one for you. This is a relatively short job as the power sources are usually there already or if you have a vent hood then the electrician can pull the wire right up and utilize this for the power source.**

Okay, so first of all here are the tools you will need:

Phillips screwdriver Drill bits ·       

Usually a 3/8” or a ½” for the two bolts that go in up top) not sure what the metric equivalent is ·       

Spade or auger bit 1 ½” is usually what you will need for the cord to pass through

Vacuum with brush attachment to clean up afterwards Ladder 4’ or shorter is more than sufficient

Straight edge a 2’ level works good for this or any other 18” or longer straight edge

Painters tape or non marring tape will work (it will only be applied for a short period of time so you could use masking tape but it is best to use painters tape to avoid            

Pencil

Tape measure

Stud finder (or keen sense of knocking ability)  

Tools you MAY need:

Socket set to secure lag bolts

Drill with masonry bit (to drill through any backsplash tile)

A helper to lift the unit   **Okay, don’t fret if you miss it or it does not make sense the instructions will also tell you the tools you will need  

You will need about an hour or two to complete this installation  

First step you need to take out the old unit. This is probably the hardest part depending upon how old the old unit is. You may be lucky and not have a unit there at all so this may not even be something you will have to do. If you have a vent hood there right now you will have to go shut off the power prior to performing the removal and the rest is pretty straight forward just look for the screws holding it up and the rest is a cake walk. You will have some sort of panel where the wires are secured together but as long as you have the POWER OFF you will be just fine. The older units secure by usually two long screws located behind the louvers on the top of the old unit. Take the louvers off (they will be held on with two or three short screws) and then you will probably see the LOOOOONG screws running from the front to the back. These screws are long and thin about a ¼” thick and you won’t miss them. The other method requires removing the carcass of the microwave from the sleeve and getting to the bolt at the back of the sleeve securing the sleeve to the wall. There also may be 4 or more screws in the upper cabinet “hanging” the unit in place remove all but one of the screws if this is your arrangement and merely loosen the last. Then get under the OTR and take the final screw out. The OTR will most likely drop usually not fast but it may so BE CAREFUL! If it does not drop fast you may have to gently pry it down. Just investigate a little and the answer will come to you soon enough. If it does not take a picture and send it to me and I should be able to instruct you further or post it here and I usually check quite frequently and will see it.  

OKAY whew now that you got that part done you are in the home stretch!  

Next unpack the new unit. You will find a bag in the packaging with the owner’s manual and another couple documents. The document you are interested in is the top mounting template. Remove this and place the other stuff in a safe location. You will have to find the center line of the space. Most OTR’s are 30” but if the face frame of the cabinets have a ¼” reveal you will get thrown off by this deviation so measure 15 inches off one cabinet side against the wall and mark a line. Then go to the other cabinet side (butting the tape end into the cabinet is the easiest way to get an accurate measurement) the measurement to that mark you made first should be 15” if it isn’t just adjust the mark and once you get an equal measurement then you have your CENTER LINE. CIRCLE THIS LINE SO YOU KNOW WHERE IT IS. You will want to also locate and mark your studs. Sometimes there is only one stud in the opening find it and mark it. You will want at least one bolt into at least one stud if you can get two that is even better. This lag bolt should probably go into one of the bottom holes and the expanders in any of the others.  

You need to now figure out the bottom of the microwave so on the back of your new OTR there is a mounting bracket sometimes they are taped on or sometimes they are screwed on either way remove the mounting plate and get rid of the screws or tape that held it on the back of the new OTR you won’t need them unless you want to put them in your junk drawer.  

Take the mounting plate and put it in place tight up to the bottom of the cabinets and draw a line across the bottom of the mounting plate. Now you know that you shouldn’t mark below this line. Next you need to scribe that centerline you marked earlier up and down so use your level to do this. Mark from the line that you just drew at the bottom of the mounting plate all the way up to the bottom of the cabinets.   Now you know where your centerline is and you also know where your stud(s) is/are. Next put the wall bracket down and get out your upper cabinet template. You might want to tear off a 6” or so long piece of tape and tape it on the front of the cabinet and mark a center line on that as well using the same process as before. 

If you are scratching your head and wondering why just look at that template and you will realize why this is important. Abut the template into the back wall with the centerline on the template in line with the template on the wall. Now start taping this template in place. Once you have it in place you will need to more than likely drill three holes (two holes for the 1/4”bolts that will hang the unit and one 1 ½” for the power cord to pass through). Once you get these holes drilled you can take the template down and move onto the mounting plate.   This is easy too just hold the template on the wall with the little triangles that are on the bottom of the bracket and the point of the triangles will go on the centerline then mark the other holes with a pencil and take down the bracket. Now you will need to drill 2 or maybe 3     ¾” holes where you made the marks and the last two or 1 will be where the lag bolts will go. Drill those ¾” holes and put the bolts with the expanders into the mounting plate and then into the holes you just drilled into the wall. Now tighten the bolts and remember to put the point of the triangle on the centerline and tighten up the bolts all the way. The top legs or the wire of the mounting bracket will butt up into the bottom of the cabinet. Now to finish the mounting plate up just screw the lag bolt(s) into the stud(s) and voila the mounting plate is done. Now you have the holes in the top cabinet and the mounting plate up next go get the OTR and you may need help with this.

Carry the OTR over to the recess and feed the power cord through the 1 1/2 “ hole and then tip the bottom of the OTR in and hook it on the two nubs of the mounting plate. 

Next tip the top of the OTR up and while you are doing this feed the cord up into the top cabinet. Once the top of the OTR is tight to the bottom of the cabinet you can feed the hanging bolts into one side of the OTR and get it started and if you can start the other hanging bolt as well. 

OKAY now you can breathe a little. Now tighten up the hanging bolts plug the OTR in and you are done!  

Yes, you may think to yourself I will never be able to do this but I do it all the time by myself and if I can handle it you can too!  

Take care and Happy Refurbing.