My mom put a fridge (15A) in her garage and it was plugged into a GCI circuit (not a gfi outlet). It kept tripping the GFI circuit every so often, but this same circuit ran other appliances in her kitchen. I wired a NEW circuit (15A) dedicated to her fridge and installed a new GFI outlet. The dam thing is still tripping the GFI. I wanted to stay in 'code' with the GFI in the garage, but I might switch her outlet to a non-GFI.
Thoughts? Is it code to have a dedicated circuit to a fridge in a garage be GFI?
Hurry up and change it before your municipality adopts the 2006 NEC. Yes, a conventional recep was allowed in the garage for freezer/second refrigerator. Apparently we will be losing that
1/2 beef and ice cream once the GFI and ArcFaults become code. Makes you wonder who is making the big decisions. Hope you don't live where the power is subject to weather anomalies like ice storms, etc.
I am not an electrician nor do I play one on TV BUT acording to several friends that are, a refrigerator should be on a 20 amp circuit by itself. A gfi wont work due to how the compressor uses power.[whatever that means!] when I wired my garage woorkshop the inspector told me that ONLY the outlet nearest the doors had to be GFI. that was 3 years ago. all other above the bench recepticals could be regular circuits. mine are all 20 amp w/ 12 guage wire. I originally put GFI breakers in for all the outlets. 3 total. when he inspected the wiring he said it was nice of me to do that but I didnt need to by code. as stated..... YMMV. I am in N.C. BTW.
Thanks. The more I read on the internet, the more I find out that you are NOT supposed to plug a fridge into a GFI outlet. Doh!!
She needed a new circuit anyway, so now all that is needed is to swap out the GFI receptacle for a non-gfi recep.
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in the basement or garage. Most homes built in the last forty (40) years or so have GFIC protected outlets in the basement and garage. Refrigerators and freezer should NOT be plugged into a GFI circuit receptacle because they will damage GFI's over time causing it fail. You don't want to all your food to spoil unknowingly because the GFIC failed. If your refrigerator is plugged into a GFI protected receptacle, you should have the electrician in install a new non GFI circuit for it.
When we get electricity here in Canada, we are told that we shouldn't plug a fridge into a GFI. All new houses where I install countertops never have GFI in the fridge cubicle. This is in anticipation of the home-owners getting electrical stuff in the future.
Careful now ... while that would certainly be an easy solution, but a GFCI equipped receptacle often protects other receptacles downstream.
IOW, before you simply "replace" the GFCI receptacle, make sure that there are no other receptacles downstream which it protects, or you may be placing yourself, or future occupants, at risk.
As you've found out, a refrigerator, as well as lights, should not be on GFCI equipped receptacles.
Originally her fridge was plugged into a GFI circuit that 'did' have other outlets in the same GFI circuit. I installed a new 15A circuit and GFI receptacle. The GFI receptacle is the only one on the new circuit.
I'm in VA and did pretty much the same, but discovered the damned GFI breakers loved to trip themselves for kicks...nothing wrong with circuit or tool, and the GFIs are good quality. I've pulled most of them and gone to GFI receptacles where I feel they are needed. I just tossed my ancient refrigerator--well, a couple months ago--and got an immediate drop of almost $27 a month in my shop electric bill (with a much smaller refrigerator, about a 1/2 size unit). When I pulled that thing out, a freebie given to me about '97 after it was considred NFG for home use, I discovered mold all over the top and much of the sides where it stayed wet from air leaks...but it NEVER blew a breaker. Old machine. I only use it to keep Coke cold, so the little box is more than enough.
I didn't know they had made that break-through decision. I thought it was still being investigated by the task-force that was to appoint a steering committee in order to seat a Royal Commission, that, when seated, would start a feasibility study to select an company to do an impact assessment. =2E =2E =2E =2E =2E =2E... you laugh...
I **AM** and electrician, although I have never played one on TV. Therefore, my advice based on only 31 years experience in the industry is to be considered "suspect". ;-)) We ALL know that much like the Internet, any opinions from actors or amateurs on ANY subject is better than that from qualified professionals. If you doubt this, just look at how America laps up the "Hollywood line" and passes along outrageous myths about everything from spiders in the hairdo to hooks stuck in the side of the car as it exited lovers lane. ;-))
Speaking seriously now...There are many variations of the electrical code as enforced by local communities. However, it is generally accepted most everywhere that a DEDICATED receptacle designed to service a single "appliance" is exempt from the GFI requirement, where the GFI requirement could/would compromise the operation of the appliance. Appliance doesn't just mean something from the kitchen or the laundry. Grandma's oxygen concentrator would apply here too. Sump pumps in the basement are another example.
A DEDICATED receptacle is a receptacle that has a single use, and once connected to its specified device, nothing else can be connected. An electric dryer is another example of a dedicated receptacle. A dedicated receptacle does NOT have to be on a separate circuit to be considered dedicated, but a dedicated circuit is also frequently the case. So, If you've already installed a 120-volt, 15-amp GROUNDED circuit, all you generally need to do is install a SINGLE receptacle for the frig. The common DUPLEX receptacle does not qualify as you can still plug in something else along with the frig, which now makes it a general purpose receptacle and subject to the GFI requirement. Also, the receptacle should be marked at the point of use to identify it as NOT GFI protected and often also what the purpose is. I always use a permanent parker and write, "NOT GFI PROTECTED. FOR XXX USE ONLY", where XXX is replaced by refrigerator, or freezer, or air compressor, or whatever you are wanting to operate at this point. This way the end user has knowledge that this is NOT a general purpose GFI protected receptacle.
Someone else mentioned that because the new GFI receptacle you installed was still tripping that you need a 20 amp circuit. If it is the receptacle that is tripping and not the circuit breaker, then you are experiencing a ground fault situation, and not an overload. I suspect this is the case, as most residential refrigerators will operate just fine on a 120-volt, 15-amp circuit. The nameplate on the appliance will usually give you the specs as to the total load. FYI: 15 amps at 120 volts is 1800 watts. If your device exceeds either the 15 amps or the 1800 watts, then the 15 amp circuit is inadequate.
Hope this helps. Now time for the opposing viewpoints.
YES. That does help. It was the GFI that was tripping, not the breaker in the panel. I am going to stick with the 15A breaker and the GFI recep has already been swapped out for a non-GFI recep.
ROFL..I have no doubt you are correct. as I stated I am NOT an electrician. I only can attest to what the electrical inspector told me. may or may not be correct. I am however in the consruction trades and recepticals for the refridgerator in the houses I work on are on their own circuit and are duplex outlets. I have never looked to see if they use GFI breakers so I cant say one way or another. the rules are different vitually everywhere. town to town and county to county ect.... does the rules change for attached garage or detached? just curious.
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