Comments on: Gas stoves and Microwaves

Question: Gas stoves and Microwaves

delladlux — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 13:24:29 -0800

Are over the range microwaves safe over gas stoves?

We'd like to upgrade from an electric stove to gas.

We currently have an over the range microwave. We thought we'd just leave it there, because if we removed it, we'd have to redo the backsplash, which is more of a project than we'd like to get into.

The dude at Lowe's told us we should NOT have an over the range microwave with a gas stove, something to the effect of gas stoves emitting higher BTUs than electric, and not safe around the microwave. He said if we're going with gas, we should replace the microwave with a range hood.

True?

By: fvox13

fvox13 — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 13:34:17 -0800

As long as the microwave is high enough, AND has a built-in exhaust hood, it should be fine. The manual for one of these units should list the recommended minimum for safe mounting. If your microwave doesn't have a built in exhaust hood, don't do it... you'll probably melt something or become asphyxiated (sp?) by gas fumes. It also might be a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher by the gas range, by the way (regardless of what you chose to do with the microwave).

By: adamrice

adamrice — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 13:38:10 -0800

That's the first I've ever heard of it. Considering the "kitchen galleries" at Lowe's own website show this very configuration, I think someone at Lowe's is BSing. This has never been an inspection issue when I bought or sold a house.

I'd also say, you'd need to have a cooktop that put out a ferocious amount of heat for it to damage a microwave/hood--it would also be way too hot for you to approach.

One thing that could be an issue (but would be already) would be having the microwave and stove on the same electrical circuit. Not so much a fire hazard as just tripping a breaker because you're pulling too much power.

By: zeoslap

zeoslap — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 13:40:27 -0800

As long as it has a built in hood it's fine.

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 13:54:07 -0800

Lowe's man talks through hat, impresses customers.

We have a MW-over-gas setup, with hood. No problems.

By: teece

teece — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 13:57:00 -0800

I did a fair bit of research when we installed our over-range microwave, and I never ran across this once.

I call bullshit. Indeed, if you surf on over to GE appliances' website, one of the first over-range microwave pictures you'll see will be of a nuker over a gas range.

Guy's wrong.

By: spilon

spilon — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:10:46 -0800

The guy is wrong if you are getting a normal, run-of-the-mill gas range. The guy is right if you're getting a "professional" gas range (like a Viking or something). In that case, the higher BTU output of the burners requires that your range hood be vented outside, and that would prevent you from having a microwave there. The fans built in to the bottom of the microwave just blow the exhaust back out into the kitchen, which is not good enough for a professional range.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:19:16 -0800

I have a microwave (LG) over a normal KitchenAid gas stove.

First, the microwave does have a range hood, but it's not vented anywhere but above the microwave and into the kitchen, so it's' not any use for getting rid of oily smoke or anything like that. it's possible to vent it outside, but we just didn't bother making a hole in the wall.

The whole thing works fine. The only problem is that if you use the rear burners with open pots, the fan comes on automatically and it's loud, which is annoying. But otherwise there haven't been any problems. If you run the range for hours on end the inside of the microwave can get warm, but there haven't been any ill effects.

Well, there is a crack in the outside plastic in the bottom-left of the door near the hinge, but that seems to be from mechanical stress more than heat or anything else. The crack isn't on the inside of the door at all, so I'm assuming that there's no radiation leakage. I would guess that you'd have this same issue if you put the same microwave over an electric stove as well.

By: mr_roboto

mr_roboto — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:25:20 -0800

Do you not have a hood now? That might be what he was getting at. I don't know if I've ever seen this configuration w/o a hood.

By: teece

teece — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:31:16 -0800

First, the microwave does have a range hood, but it's not vented anywhere

My over-the-range microwave had an install option to hook up the built-in fan to an outside vent. (oops, you said that next).

So it seems you could even do this with a really high energy output range, unless the airflow is not strong enough.

(FWIW, ours vents above the microwave -- which is directly below an outside-vented ceiling fan, so it works fine getting air outside).

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 14:57:37 -0800

I installed an over the gas range microwave/vent hood at my father's place but the owner's manual specifically voided the warranty on the unit in this configuration. We did it anyways because of the small kitchen and haven't had a problem but then again my father is smart enough not to turn all the burns on high without turning on the exhaust fan.

By: acoutu

acoutu — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:18:43 -0800

My last place was a high-end condo and we had an OTR mic and gas stove. I do think you have to make sure there's a big space between the top and the mic, but I assume the builder's people took care of that for us. Why not contact a gas stove manufacturer and ask them?

By: plinth

plinth — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 17:05:50 -0800

I read through the specs for a GE over-the-range nuke box as part of research for a DIY job and the specs are really clear about what the clearance needs to be and there was nothing that said don't do this with a gas stove nor any restrictions for outside/inside venting.

By: yerfatma

yerfatma — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 18:25:48 -0800

something to the effect of gas stoves emitting higher BTUs than electric

Echoing spilon, the warning probably applies to more pro-like gas stoves. What kind of gas stove are you looking at, given that you are "upgrading"?

By: genefinder

genefinder — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 05:56:19 -0800

When we were looking for this same thing (at Lowes as well as a matter of fact), the only thing they said was we needed a 41 inch clearance between the stovetop and the bottom of the exhaust on the microwave/convection oven.

This should be your only hurdle, if any.

By: Medieval Maven

Medieval Maven — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 06:36:45 -0800

My mom has managed to not burn down the house for approximately 20 years with the microwave-over-the-gas-stove set up.

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 07:27:15 -0800

In that case, the higher BTU output of the burners requires that your range hood be vented outside, and that would prevent you from having a microwave there. The fans built in to the bottom of the microwave just blow the exhaust back out into the kitchen, . . .

Not on ours, which vents outside.

By: delladlux

delladlux — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 20:55:11 -0800

Genefinder. 41 inches???
That's almost 4 feet. Are you sure it wasn't 21 inches? I measured, and 41 inches seemed ridiculously high above the stove, so much so, a 6 foot tall person couldn't reach the microwave.

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 04:49:45 -0800

That number jumped at me, too. I think it's more Lowe's "expertise" at work.