San Antonio's older neighborhoods, such as King William, Lavaca, Monte Vista, Tobin Hill, Government Hill, Alamo Heights and Olmos Park, have some of the most beautiful houses in the city. Their kitchens were built for a very different set of appliances. Many have been remodeled once or twice already, sometimes well and sometimes with shortcuts that show up only when a new appliance goes in.
When a new appliance misbehaves in one of these houses, the problem often isn't the appliance at all. It's the circuit the appliance is plugged into, the vent it exhausts through, or the connector that feeds it gas. This guide covers what to check before you buy, and what to watch for if a newer appliance in an older house keeps having trouble.
Measure everything first
Older kitchens tend to be smaller and less standard than new ones.
- •The opening. Measure the width, height and depth of the space, at the front and the back. Walls and floors in older houses are often out of square or out of level.
- •The path in. Measure doorways, hallways and any turns between the street and the kitchen. A counter-depth or built-in refrigerator that fits the opening may not fit through a narrow back door.
- •Clearances. Refrigerators need space for airflow and door swing. Ranges have required clearances to cabinets and combustible surfaces. The installation instructions give exact figures.
- •Floor strength and level. A heavy refrigerator or range on an old floor may need shimming or leveling. An appliance that isn't level can have doors that don't seal and drains that don't drain.
Electrical: check the circuits first
Many older homes have had their wiring updated, but not always all of it, and not always recently. Modern appliances, especially those with electronic controls, are less tolerant of poor wiring than the ones they replaced.
Dedicated circuits
Most manufacturers' installation instructions call for a dishwasher, a built-in microwave and a refrigerator to have their own circuits, or at least specify the circuit they need. In an older kitchen, it's common to find several appliances sharing one circuit. The symptom is a tripped breaker when the microwave and the dishwasher run at the same time, or a refrigerator that resets.
Grounding and outlets
Two-prong outlets without a ground are still found in some older homes. Don't use a three-prong adapter to connect a refrigerator or microwave to an ungrounded outlet. Modern appliances rely on the ground for safety. A licensed electrician can tell you what's needed.
Electric ranges, cooktops and dryers
Electric ranges and dryers run on 240 volts and need a correctly sized circuit and the right receptacle. If you're switching from gas to electric cooking, or adding an induction cooktop, you'll likely need a new circuit, and possibly a panel upgrade. Plan that before the appliance is delivered.
Electrical work should be done by a licensed electrician, not an appliance technician.
Gas: connectors and shutoffs
Many homes in these neighborhoods cook on CPS Energy natural gas, and many have had their gas ranges replaced several times over the years.
- •Old flexible connectors. Some older homes still have uncoated brass flexible gas connectors. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has warned that some older uncoated brass connectors can fail. If you have one, have it replaced, and never reuse an old connector when installing a new range or dryer.
- •An accessible shutoff valve should be installed near the appliance so the gas can be turned off without moving anything else.
- •Moving a gas range strains the connector. Pull it out slowly and support it.
If you smell gas at any time, leave the house and call CPS Energy's gas emergency line or 911 from outside. Don't operate switches or appliances on the way out.
Venting: range hoods and dryers
Range hoods
A range hood that vents outside removes heat, grease and combustion byproducts much better than a recirculating hood. Older kitchens often have no exterior duct, or a small one sized for a much smaller fan. Before choosing a powerful hood for a professional-style range, check how it will be ducted and whether the house needs makeup air for that fan size. The range's installation manual and your local building department can tell you what applies.
In a historic district, cutting a new vent through a wall visible from the street may need review. Check with the City of San Antonio's Office of Historic Preservation before you commit to a location.
Dryer vents
Laundry in older homes has often been moved into a converted porch, a closet or a later addition, and the dryer vent may run a long or twisting route. Long runs clog faster and cause overheating. Our guide to a dryer that takes two cycles covers what to check.
Water: supply lines and shutoffs
- •Replace old supply lines for the dishwasher, refrigerator and washer with new braided lines when you install a new appliance.
- •Make sure each has a working shutoff valve you can reach and turn. Old valves can seize, which you won't discover until the day you need them.
- •Hard water affects every connection, so a sediment-clogged valve in an old house is common. See hard water and your dishwasher.
When an appliance keeps having problems
If a newer appliance in an older home has repeated control faults, trips breakers, or keeps losing settings, the cause may be the supply rather than the appliance. When we diagnose one of these, we check the supply and connections as well as the machine, and tell you if the fix belongs to an electrician or plumber. Our refrigerator repair and range repair pages cover the built-in and pro-style equipment found in many remodeled older kitchens.
We cover the older neighborhoods close to downtown, including King William, Monte Vista and Olmos Park in our Downtown San Antonio area, and Alamo Heights in North San Antonio.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a standard-depth refrigerator in a shallow historic kitchen?
Sometimes, but it will stick out past the cabinets. Counter-depth models fit better but hold less. Measure the depth including doors and handles.
Is induction a good option for an older home?
It can be, but induction cooktops and ranges need a suitable 240-volt circuit. Have an electrician confirm your panel can support it first.
Should my gas dryer and range have the same kind of connector?
Both should use a new, approved flexible connector sized for the appliance and installed according to the manufacturer's instructions.