Refrigerator Tripping GFI, is it safe?

Ron6519

That statement is not true.
I just pulled my new refrigerator manual, and all it states is that the outlet be, "properly grounded".
No mention that it has to be put in a GFI outlet and no admonition to keep it away.
Ron

DangerMouse

What an interesting thread! Po)

Let's all play nice so no mean ol' moderator comes along and locks it!
Not to say anyone has said anything untoward yet, but I'm curious to see where this goes.

DM

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Ron6519

I'd just like a source from a universal statement. That's all I'm saying.
Ron

jbfan

Codes change, and current code requires every receptacle in a garage to be gfci protected.

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DangerMouse

Yes, I'm sure you may be correct, every NEW garage must have GFCIs.
However, my GRANDFATHER said it may not matter in this case.... -=chuckle=-
So...impius, is there an standard outlet in your garage? Or did you run a cord into the house?
impius' question was simply if it was a safe machine to be around his family or not because of the gfci tripping, let's not lose sight of that.

DM

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Ron6519

He would need to know if the wiring in the house had any conceptual issues.
Easy to check with a low cost device.
Ron

DangerMouse

Being it's an older fridge, it likely COULD be starting down the road to the scrapyard, but if it works in a standard outlet, it's safe enough to use.
Your normal breaker or fuse will deal with any problems it may have. That's all I'm saying. That was basically his question.

DM

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Ron6519

The OP needs to troubleshoot the issue. It was the Xmas lights that started the problem. Before that, the unit was plugged in and was fine. Now it's not. I would change the GFI and plug the unit in again. No lights. See the results.
Other GFI issue, I would check the wiring.
While we can speculate until ........
We can't do the legwork at the house.
Ron

hardwareman

I knew this thread would get a few people going.
I'm sure your owners manual will not tell you to not plug it into a GFCI outlet, I believe they call that covering your ass. but I'v been doing this long enough and I've talked to enough factory engineers as well as tech support to know they do not recommend you do it, and I will leave it at that

impius

Thanks for all the responses...Seems like this is a highly contested subject.

I dont think it is a problem with the GFI, as I have tried it now in 4 different GFI outlets using dropchords and all of them trip instantly. Also, the house is only 1 year old and everything else seems to work perfectly.

I currently have it plugged into my extra plugin for the garage door opener (standard -non gfi) and it is working with no problems. I have opened and closed the fridge several times and have lived to tell the tale. I may end up having an electrician come to check to make sure there is no danger to the kids, I just hate to do that since the fridge is probably only worth $50.
I would never have even questioned the saftey had I never plugged into the GFI outlet.

Thanks again all, I would love to hear any other thoughts.

ccarlisle

Amen to that hardwareman...this type of squabbling is typical in your exited States where, on one hand, you have time-tested, common-sense arguments (in this case, don't use a GFCI+fridge combination) and on the other, you have people mired in jurisidictional issues (NEC says this, IRC says that, my electrican says white, my dad says black ) - and in the middle, indecisive people.

Populations have been conditioned so that the two will never meet; so what you get is 30+response threads to a simple question and - in some similar situations - this process mean a lot of money made by lawyers arguing the pros and cons - ad infinitum - on your and my nickel with a slim chance of resolution that would affect all of us. Instead of looking at the facts, logic is excluded and rules dreamt up to cover every eventuality.

Some would say this is the "dumbing down" of the population; are we all really trying just to be smarter than a fifth-grader?

RedHelix

I'm glad I caught this... sorry in advance for hijacking thread

Last time I checked (which was not recently,) just countertop receptacles have to be GFCI in a residential kitchen. So does what you say apply to residential kitchens too?

Main reason I ask is because I just had an electrician come out to update all my receptacles from 2-prong. He installed a plain 120v/15a receptacle for my fridge.

I'm also adding receptacle to a junction box inside one of my cabinets, and am curious as to whether I need GFCI (assuming yes.)

DangerMouse

Gee Red, I think your questions are pertinent to this thread and in no way hijack it. Po)

DM

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clashley

The commercial kitchen GFCI requirement does not apply to residential installation. There is no requirement that a residential refrigerator be connected to a GFCI. A GFCI requirement may come into play depending on where the refrigerator is located, but that has to do with location of the receptacle and nothing to do with the appliance itself.

If the fridge in question is located in a garage, code requires the receptacle be GFCI-protected because the garage is a wet/damp location. Perhaps I missed it in the thread, but I see the OP has tried several different GFCI receptacles and keeps getting a trip. I'm assuming these are GFCI receptacles, not standard receptacles wired to a GFCI breaker. That may (or may not) make a difference.

All of that being said, I generally dislike the idea of placing a fridge or freezer on a GFCI. I've seen them nuisance trip many times and leave a homeowner with a box of rotting food. Also, if your fridge receptacle is behind the appliance, resetting the GFCI can be a pain. The notion that commercial kitchens get along fine with GFCI-protected refrigerators is offset by the fact that in a commercial kitchen, a tripped GFCI is much more likely to be noticed quickly than in a residential environment where there homeowner may not even be home for several days.

Regarding the in-cabinet receptacle, what is the intended load for this device? Depending on what you are doing, you may need a new circuit instead of tapping into an existing branch.

DangerMouse

Man, I'm really enjoying his thread. Po) Mucho bueno info...
Red: So many variables are involved too, such as whether the cabinet outlet will be within "X" amount of distance from a water source, right guys? Being as this is a kitchen (right? kitchen?) it should be 20 amps, not 15, right?
MY newly wired kitchen required 20 amp, 2 separate circuits minimum and GFCIs on each side of the sink to pass inspection. This made MY fridge both on a GFCI protected circuit as well as being 20 amps. No problems.... yet..... 5 yr. old fridge..... we'll see, I guess.

DM

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