Removing 'Carcass' cupboard - structural weakness?

[Pulsedriver]

Hey folks, we moved to our house nearly 5 years ago and the previous owners had fitted a new kitchen, pretty poor quality workmanship, including misaligned doors etc.
Anyhow, the main culprits were the fridge freezer/dishwasher/washing machine.

Over time I changed the dishwasher & washing machine to non-integrated versions ( I can't stand integrated appliances) and the next on the 'hit list' is the fridge freezer, that will then solve it all as the cupboards are fine I replaced hinges etc with slow closing and all works nicely.
My worry is, the carcass that the integrated fridge freezer is inside has one panel next to the wall hung cupboard (see photos)

On the last photo, the 'joining' from the worktop, is just silicon - actually, before it was simply resting on the washing machine that used to sit underneath it - gives you an idea of the idiot fitter before! Anyway, I fitted a support bracket under that worktop before I fitted the washing machine so that part is stable.

The top and 2nd photo show the cupboard that it may be 'joined' to, I just don't want the cupboard falling off the wall if I remove that carcass out...

I just want to put a non-integrated fridge freezer there probably within next couple of months - you can't see it in the pictures, but the fridge and freezer doors and so poorly fitted they stick out massively when the fridge is closed, and because the whole thing wasn't put in straight, they can't be aligned correctly. (Actually top photo, you can see, the door looks open at the top... that's with the fridge door CLOSED )

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Are you after advice or what?

I would stick a wooden baton along the underside back of the worksurface above the washing machine, but you also really need to support it from the side. Could you use the cabinet the fridge is built into, cut it down and use it under the edge of the worksurface?
The cabinet those rectangular lumps inside at the top are supposed to be the fixings to the wall, so you should be ok, but some people will use a tiny rawlplug with a short screw...
I would probably buy some half decent brackets, screw them to the cabinets on top at the back, and then plug them with some decent deep fixings into the wall, so you are doubling up on support.

Again you could baton under the cabinet, depends on tiliing, if you could see it etc.

 

[Tee Hee Johnson]

It should be ok to remove the tall one on the left, but id empty the one you are keeping and just make sure all is ok.

 

[Pulsedriver]

Mercenary - Good stuff thank you, there is a large metal bracket this ( https://www.screwfix.com/p/heavy-duty-bracket-black-300-x-300mm-2-pack/78941) which you can't see in the pic, but is basically to the left of the washing machine, in between the carcass and washing machine, it is bolted to the wall at the back , and supporting the worktop, I added that after realising the donuts before me had put no support when fitting(and when I removed the old washing machine, the worktop just drooped right down!) but as and when I remove the carcass your idea of a wood baton is a neat idea for some extra support and i'll have a bit more space to use.

Tiles are under the cabinet so it would be visible to put wood under there so not a good look unfortunately, however extra brackets I am always game for, do you have any links / recommendations for any? I take it I could just put them almost alongside the existing ones? It's a solid wall it's on, so with the right fittings would be very sturdy.

Tee Hee > Good idea re empty cabinet, especially with it being full of glasses

 

[Slade2]

As Mercenary says - The little clip thing in the top left of the cupboard is the bracket that holds the unit on the wall. There is normally a screw in the bottom and you can undo that and you should then just be able to lift the unit off the wall while you deal with the fridge unit. We had a nightmare of a kitchen install and ours was way worse than yours! We ended up with a completely different kitchen to the one we actually had designed because the fitter was shocking claiming that most of it wouldn't fit the way it was designed yet he was the one who came out to do the final measure and said it would all fit! I have loads of those tall end panels if you needed a few spares (you would just have to by the inserts)

As for the edge of the work top where washing machine is you can get some trim in the same design as the worktop and edge that if you wanted to as long as the bracket is hold it up enough. (our worktop sits on top of the units but the integrated washing machine makes it move and has then cracked all the tiles!!)