DIY Tips to Installing a Downdraft Cooktop

Extensive kitchen renovations can cost an arm and a leg. The good news is you can update your kitchen by simply changing one of your major appliances. One of the options you can choose is installing a downdraft cooktop, which works toward ensuring that smoke and steam do not get into the kitchen. Here are a few steps to follow if you are considering installing a downdraft cooktop in your kitchen wall as part of your kitchen renovations.

Measure the space available for your downdraft cooktop

The first thing you would have to do would be to take the measurements of the area where you expect to install your downdraft cooktop. You should ensure that the area you have chosen does not have any wiring at the back of the wall where the downdraft cooktop will be. Such wiring includes gas wiring and even electrical connections. Once you have measured the area and established that there will be no wiring that will disrupt the downward cooktop, go to our local home improvement store and purchase one that fits the measurements.

Secure the brackets of the downdraft cooktop

The next step would be to put the downward cooktop on the counter. You should push it all the way back into the wall. Try as much to get it in until there is a small gap at the back. Next, you should locate the brackets that will be used to secure the downdraft as well as the cooktop to the counter. Normally, there tend to be two that will be on the downdraft. The downdraft should be secured up the wall. These brackets will be beneath the counter. The cooktop will also have two brackets on its side, and these will be used to attach it to the counter. Once you have located them, you should get a screw so that they can be affixed to the cabinet below.

Affix brackets to secure the downdraft cooktop

The next thing you would need to do is to measure the length of the counter. Once you have these measurements, get two plywood brackets of that length. You should put each one on the side of the downdraft and proceed to have them screwed to the wall. The pair of plywood brackets will ensure that the downdraft will be secure and thus will remain level.

Connect your downdraft cooktop

Proceed to connect the module used to control the downdraft cooktop. You will need to have three holes drilled in the cabinet where three thumbnuts will be. Fasten them, and these are what will keep the control module secure. Next, apply caulking around the control module as well as any other openings to avoid any liquids dripping into the downward cooktop, as this may disrupt the wiring. Plug in the cooktop, and it is ready for use.

For more information about this and other possible kitchen renovations, contact a local renovation company. 

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