Kitchen Appliances

COMMON QUESTIONS
With the advent of full kitchens with
appliances outdoors, people are asking
questions that weren t even thought about
previously. It s not as simple as taking any
appliance or cabinet and putting it outside
that makes it an outdoor product. There are
outdoor versions of products that are modified
in critical areas and are required to go
through rigorous testing before they are rated
for outdoor use. Depending on the weather in
your area of the country, it usually pays to get
the right product for the job. Humidity,
extreme heat, extreme cold, excessive rain or
snow; all of these factors should be taken into
account before purchasing an outdoor
appliance or cabinet. Otherwise you will find
yourself replacing components well before
you thought you d have to.
Many indoor-rated appliances and cabinets
are sold for outdoor use without the salesman
or buyer realizing there is a difference. The
useful lives of indoor products used outside
are typically much shorter than those of
outdoor-rated products. Even though they
sell for a lot less money, you usually have to
settle for poor performance and a need to
replace them more often. Also, the danger of
an electric shock is always there with an
indoor-rated appliance that doesn t have a
GFI (ground fault interrupter) outdoor-rated
plug. For instance, two refrigerators may look
alike from the front, but the outdoor-rated
one may be double the price or more. This is
usually because to obtain the UL or ETL
Rating, the unit must have a bigger or better-
cooled compressor, a full covered back and a
GFI outdoor-rated plug. Keep this in mind
when shopping for outdoor refrigerators or
evaluating hoods, icemakers, dishwashers, etc.
for outdoor use. Refrigerators will continue to
work in below freezing temperatures; the
compressor will just not turn on if it is not
necessary. Many people just unplug the
refrigerators for the winter season to save the
electricity.

Frequently the question of supplying water to
the outdoor kitchen comes up. It is common
in warmer climates, and it is becoming more
popular in colder climates where the kitchen
is going to be used frequently during the
season and food and drink preparation will be
done outside. All-in-one refreshment centers
have sinks and faucets and you can install full-
size sinks in sink bases; both of these require a
water line. As outdoor kitchens become more
extensive, icemakers and dishwashers are also
becoming popular. Obviously these require
water lines too. A shut-off valve in the house
like one used for outdoor spigots makes it
easy to turn off the water for the off-season.
Some installations have even had the outdoor
kitchen plumbing connected to the automatic
sprinkler system. Then when the sprinkler
system is blown out and winterized, the
plumbing is done at the same time.
Wastewater from sinks is usually captured in
a container below the sink for removal after
use.
Stainless steel is a hardy material, and a little
maintenance goes a long way. While it is not
required, to maintain the professional look a
small amount of cleaning should be done. The
surfaces should be cleaned periodically with a
stainless cleaner (several are available at
hardware stores and home centers) which will
protect the finish and keep it looking like new
for season after season. Try several to find the
one that works best in your climate. Never
use any metal-based cleaning pad (like steel
wool) on the stainless or fragments will be
caught in the grooves of the grain. They will
rust and make it look like the stainless is
rusting.
Even in harsh environments, the 304 stainless
will hold up well with periodic cleaning.
There might be some oxidation, but cleaning
should take care of it. If the environment is
extremely harsh, you might consider
upgrading to 316 stainless (marine-grade).