Yesterday we had an over the counter microwave oven installed. Afterwards I noticed the upper screws were installed in the upper cabinet crooked. The worst one, which is about 30 degrees off vertical, is shown in the photo. So, is this a potential safety issue? I know it’s an incorrect installation but will these screws come loose after many door openings and closings? I also wonder if the microwave is removed for repairs will they hold it at all on reinstallation? These are machine screws designed to be threaded into a threaded hole.
Cross Threaded Mounting Screws on Microwave
- Thread starter ArPix
- Start date
It's not going to fall. Basically they forced the threads together. Geez, looking at that picture, that's ridiculous. Usually you can't look at cross-threaded fasteners and tell it's cross-threaded, you find out when you try and remove them or put them back.
That's an absolute hack ! Who installed this ?
That's an absolute hack ! Who installed this ?
No kidding, this is major amateur hour.
The weight of the microwave should be supported on the back wall bracket. Those top screws only serve to keep the unit snug to the cabinet and "should" not be providing much, if any structural support. That's my experience and opinion.
That really is a hack job. A DIYer would have spent the extra half hour to make that right.
That really is a hack job. A DIYer would have spent the extra half hour to make that right.
Purchased at Airport Home Appliance, installed by Apogee. Both are local companies in SF East Bay Area. $155 for the hack job!
It is totally the installer's fault. If something doesn't look right then he or she needs to stop instead of hack it in like this without written approval.
The right thing to do in this situation is to return the microwave uninstalled and pick something that can mount in the location, or cut the wood covering so you can install the screw straight down.
Ask the manufacturer of the microwave, I'm sure they would say no to that much.
I agree. I was 10 feet away but couldn’t see what he was doing in the upper cabinet. He never said a word about there being a problem with the installation. If he had discussed the issue with me, I would have suggested what you said.
Yeah, don't get me wrong, the installer should have said, "hey, this doesn't fit in this space or can't be mounted" and stopped instead of scalloping out that upright piece and someone, some way luckily grabbing enough thread to force the fastener in.
I don't get why the screw could even be that close to the side of the cabinet in the first place...is it a standard 30" wide cabinet? The microwave manufacturers place the screw locations on the top to ensure there is enough clearance to have them flush to the bottom of the cabinet.
Yes it’s a 30“ wide cabinet but Whirlpool put the right side mounting screw more towards the center than the usual placement. The partition that they cut into separates the area where the vent pipe goes to the roof from the right side cabinet area. There is a left and right caninet area and the center area where the vent pipe is.
That makes more sense, didn't realize that was the vent partition.
I went to the appliance store with a screw from a previous microwave installation. It turns out that the screw holes do have flexibility to account for the screw being off angle (see photo). Hard to tell if the screw angle on my installation is more than I found at the store. Maybe it’s OK. The screws have a pilot tip with no threads for about a quarter inch.
Attachments
Similar threads
