I am shoping for a refrigerator. I can only connact to a 15A circuit.
I looked some of the Maytag and Kenmore models. Some just listed as UL rating. Some stated that the maximum amps is 20.
So do I need a 20A circuit for a refrigerator? The fridge will be in a finished basement.
Thanks for input.
Y.
Why don't you just up the breaker to a 20 AMP?
Yeah, or just jumper around it.
Yeah, or just jumper around it.
OK if you up the wire along with it. There are codes for wire size and breaker size and it was developed to prevent fires.
Code only requires a 15A circuit. Doesn't even have to be dedicated, although it ain't a bad idea.
Ooops!
My house has mostly 12-2 wire so going from a 15 to 20 amp breaker would work. Probably not to code to have a 20 amp on 14-2 wire......
they are probably stating that they should be on a max 20A breaker so it has a chance of tripping if there is a problem, not that the fridge under full load draws 20 amps. find out what the fridge will actually draw... i cannot imagine you need more than 15 amps.
randy
I don't know where you got your code book Andy, but mine says 20 amp dedicated.
You should be OK. I just looked at a couple of web pages to see what power they actually draw, but they did not list the specification. Kitchen Aid did state a 15A or 20A circuit is sufficient.
As a matter of code I believe new homes must be wired with a single 20A circuit for the refrigerator. This is to allow for a decent power draw and it avoids having the fridge and toaster on the same line, blowing breakers, etc. It is just good common sense.
I have a second fridge in the basement also and it is on a 15A line and has been for over 20 years. New models take much less power than the older ones. What you want to be careful of is putting a lot of other appliances or heavy draw items on that branch circuit. Safety aside, you don't want the kids to plug in a game, blow the breaker and they go out and play. Three days later you find the fridge is now warm and food spoiled.
Yeah, or just jumper around it.
Thanks all who replied.
I figured 15A is probably OK, as my current main refregerator is on a 15A circuit shared with rangehhod and some lights.
Those refregerators doesn't require much energy - the yellow tags stated that they run 400 - 600 KWH per year, which is $30 to $40 a year (it costs less than 7 cents/KWH here.)
Hmmmm. Code book probably came out of the same bubble-gum machine my super-spy decoder ring came out of.
Could've sworn 2002 NEC (which is my reference copy) put the 'fridge on one of the two required Small Appliance circuits in the kitchen. Either I'm mis-remembering (highly likely), or one of the newer NECs has added yet another gratuitous dedicated circuit (there's so many required dedicated circuits anymore, there must be kickbacks from the breaker box industry involved).
Naw. I don't really have a code book.
Got ya.
But, when I was doing residential electric.... anything other than a dedicated 12 gauge 20 amp circuit would fail inspection everytime; and that was back in 1981.
Finally somebody pointed that out. I just bought a frig and it uses less than a 60-watt bulb running continuously. I actually checked this with a Kill-A-Watt meter.
If your 60 watt bulb is running, you better catch it before it gets out the door!
Ha!
I presume you mean it uses less *total kwh* than a 60-watt bulb running continuously. What was the starting current and the running current? I don't think the breaker is sized according to average current draw, which includes time when it isn't running.
%mod%
Got me, I guess. Went and checked my doorstop, I mean, the NEC, and at least the 2002 allows the 'fridge to be on one of the kitchen SA circuits (which have to be 20A, 'tho -- mis-remembered that one). Sure seems unlikely the newer NECs would require a dedicated circuit...newer 'fridges draw *less* juice than the older ones, not less.
1981 seriously predated my trying to go by code. I occasionally helped my dad wire up stuff around the house in that timeframe, but I can guarantee that a large part of it never met code by any reasonable definition. Wonder if that "required 20A dedicated circuit" you had to deal with was a local code requirement?Yah... could be; probably was local code. All I remember is wiring kitchens was a real bitch cause of all the different dedicated circuits you had to run for DW/Disposal, and appliances. I always hated stringing 12 ga wire. Always got along real well with 14 ga; but 12 ga and higher always pissed me off. Except for 8 ga copper to the stove.. it always went in no problem.
One time I was in this SEVERLY HIGH END residential remodel job... some freaking mansion from like 1920 that was being updated, and whoever roughed the kitchen in ran 10 ga to an appliance outlet, but left the old box in place, and the box was like 1/4 deep, or so it seemed, and I was futzing with it and futzing with it and then I started cussing at it and finally just got completely pissed and jammed everything in, and put the cover plate on, and it looked like complete hell cause the outlet was crooked and also was not flush; and I turned around and walked straight into the owner who had been watching me the whole time. Ah, memories.
From Whirlpool (copy & paste): Electrical Requirements
15 OR 20 Ampere, 115 Volts, 60 Hertz (1/second). FUSED ELECTRICAL SUPPLY IS REQUIRED. GROUNDED CIRCUIT IS REQUIRED. A TIME-DELAY FUSE OR CIRCUIT BREAKER AND SEPARATE CIRCUIT IS RECOMMENDED.HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.