The kitchen outlet circuit with the GFI is very sensitive it trips all the time. Where do I start looking for potential culprit. I have to move the refrigerator out of that circuit or food will spoil The range is affected too. This is in an rental where the outlet circuit was added.
Depending on where you live, you cannot do this work yourself, you must hire a licensed electrician.
It's possible that it is the GFCI outlet, I've had that happen. It's fairly painless to replace it and eliminate that as the cause.
Moving the refrigerator out was a good idea. Personally the only thing I believe should be on the same circuit as a frig should be a single light that is used often so it will be noticed if that circuit goes out. Otherwise I like them on their own circuit.
The refrigerator is likely the culprit. The NEC does not require the refrigerator to be on a dedicated circuit, although it's a good idea, and it doesn't require it to be GFCI protected. The range outlet (120 volt) doesn't need to be GFCI protected either, unless it's a counter top outlet
I had one do that a lot. Later, I found the box full of ants, along with their eggs and feces.
Is this a circuit on a GFCI circuit breaker, or is it on a standard breaker, with the GFCI function provided by one or more GFCI receptacles? I ask because if the GFCI functions is provided by individual receptacles, the local building department might allow a non-GFIC receptacle for the refrigerator and stove if these were dedicated single-receptacle outlets in locations were they were unlikely to be used as "utility" outlets.
Michael Thomas Paragon Home Inspection, LLC Chicago IL mdtATparagoninspectsDOTcom
Thanks to all who replied. I asked an electrical guy in my company. He said it is very likely the GFCI outlet has become bad because it has been placed upstream of the refrigerator. Over time the refreigerator cycling on and off is making the GFCI outlet go bad.
This circuit is on a standard breaker with a GFCI receptacle.
That's bullshit. The fridge may trip a GFCI when they get old but they don't damage the GFCI. The compressor develops small internal shorts that get detected by the GFCI
Why don't you plug the refrigerator into another GFCI outlet and see what happens? Or you can measure if there is any current flowing on the ground wire out of the refrigerator.
I am no electrician. But if the fridge trips the GFCI. The fridge is taken out so food spoils. This is not anyone wants.
I have placed the fridge either on a different circuit or upstream of the GFCI I am not sure which. The tenanats complain to me the oven doesn't work. It is because the GFCI keeps tripping to take the the oven electricity source out so it won't ignite.
You can get away with plugging a fridge in a non-GFCI receptacle under most situations. If the ground is good you shouldn't really have a problem but you still have a ground fault that shows up on your electric bill. If you cut open the compressor you would find burnt freon and signs of arcing but since this is a sealed system you don't know anything until the compressor gets so bad it shorts out and trips the breaker or blows a winding open and won't start. They usually run a long time this way but they cost more to operate and are warning you they could crap out any day..
It's not uncommon for a refrigerator to trip a GFCI circuit, which is probably one of the reasons the NEC doesn't require outlets for them to be GFCI protected
Please don't lead me astray. I am not interested in doing anything to the fridge. It is 4 years old and working fine. I have no reason to believe the fridge will stop working any time soon. I just want to get rid of the GFCI tripping problem.
It all dependss on where it is located. In some locartions there is no relief from 210.8. The 2005 code is tightening this up.
Commercial kitchens are required to have plug-in refrigerators/freezers on GFCI circuits. I read somewhere the rationalle is that people have been shocked (electrocuted?) by refrigerators/freezers, and they shouldn't trip a GFCI.
bud--
Do you if there is a way to test the GFCI receptacle by itself?
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