[LFYN]

Hi, I have a 115v, 15.8 amp Commercial Freezer with a 5-20p plug. The Freezer is plugged into a dedicated 20 amp receptacle with 12 AWG wired directly to a 20 amp breaker in the main service breaker. In the Main Breaker Box the Neutral and Grounding bars are all connected as one.(not seperated). I was informed that for a 240v freezer that the Ground and Neutral must be seperated. My question is, is this so for a 115v Freezer?
As of now the 115V freezer is wired to the main and the Neutral and Ground are tied together. Is this wrong? This is a new install and the freezer runs fine, but will eventually trip the breaker. I am new here and would appreciate any help/advice.

 

[TarheelTerp]

In the Main Breaker Box the Neutral and Grounding bars are all connected as one. I was informed...

Find OTHER sources for information.
Whatever that person may know about... it ain't this.

 

[TarheelTerp]

I have a Commercial Freezer, it is 115V, 15.8 Amps. ...
The Freezer is a new install and runs fine but... it eventually trips the breaker.

Can you define what "eventually" means?
Have you noticed *anything* else happening when the breaker trips?

On a dedicated circuit (with nothing else on it) it should be fine.
Check the basic work done. Loose connections in particular.

 

[LFYN]

Thank you for replying. Eventually meaning that the freezer will run Approximately 4-6 hrs down to a preset temp, -4 or -6 not sure. Then the next time I notice it its off and the breaker tripped. I have not witness it happen just after the fact. Had a refrigeration tech check out the freezer, everything checked out. Then when the breaker popped again, made me start thinking about the wiring/ breaker, etc.

 

[hvactech126]

Have you been onsite when the breaker has tripped? If so, what was the unit doing at the time it tripped? Was the compressor starting?

 

[LFYN]

Hi, and thanks for responding. No I haven't witnessed it when it trips. I know it will run for approximately 5-6 hours down to a preset temp -4 or -6 not sure. Then the next thing I know it's off and the breaker tripped. Maybe went into defrost mode or coming out. Had a refrigeration tech check out just the freezer yesterday, but not the wiring. The freezer checked out everything was in spec. I think it was drawing 11.4 amps while it was cooling and 8.4 amps when in Def. mode. So after he left it popped again a few hours later, so now thinking something with the wiring/ground/breaker, etc.

 

[64pvolvo1800]

Hi, and thanks for responding. No I haven't witnessed it when it trips. I know it will run for approximately 5-6 hours down to a preset temp -4 or -6 not sure. Then the next thing I know it's off and the breaker tripped. Maybe went into defrost mode or coming out. Had a refrigeration tech check out just the freezer yesterday, but not the wiring. The freezer checked out everything was in spec. I think it was drawing 11.4 amps while it was cooling and 8.4 amps when in Def. mode. So after he left it popped again a few hours later, so now thinking something with the wiring/ground/breaker, etc.

Is the breaker warm or hot? The connection to the main bussbar could cause heat and trip as a result. Tried a different breaker?

 

[beenthere]

Merged your threads, please don't make duplicate threads, thank you.

 

[beenthere]

How many defrost cycles is thje defrost clock set to.

 

[LFYN]

Wasn't sure where it belonged, and how do you merge them? Thanks for the help

 

[LFYN]

It's a preset digital controller. I'm not exactly sure how many cycles and the intervals, but I will try and find out. Thanks

 

[beenthere]

Wasn't sure where it belonged, and how do you merge them? Thanks for the help

I have more things on my screen then you do, or atleast more of the tabs work for me. I'm one of the moderators of the site. Just forgot to leave that note.

Your post was fitting for either forum. Just now allowed to be in both. No biggie.

 

[beenthere]

It's a preset digital controller. I'm not exactly sure how many cycles and the intervals, but I will try and find out. Thanks

With it tripping the breaker after 6 hours, sound like a 6 hour defrost interval, or 4 defrost a day, which is appropriate for a below 0°F freezer. It could be your defrost time is too long, and making the evap too hot, so the compressor is over worked coming out of defrost. And tripping the breaker.

 

[LFYN]

Yes The first breaker was a quad. I then added a single 20A High Magnetic breaker for appliances and this still tripped. Didn't check to see if breaker was warm. It always pops when I'm not right there, so not sure how long it was off before I notice. Guess I will get a chair and babysit it next time to see exactly what it was doing when it trips, then I can check the breaker to see if its warm.

 

[LFYN]

http://www.commercial-freezers-coolers-depot.com/freezer-wiring-electronics.html

The part of this article I am questioning starts at half way down the page.

This is my source for originally posting my question. Any comments or suggestions? Seems that they are speaking about 230v. So once again does this also apply to a 115v?. If anyone knows please respond. Thank you

P.S. I did email the website with this question still waiting for reply.

 

[TarheelTerp]

Yes The first breaker was a quad.
I then added a single 20A High Magnetic breaker for appliances and this still tripped.

Which (along with the time aspect) point's you back to the defrost function...
and how that is overloading the circuit.

With it tripping the breaker after 6 hours, sound like a 6 hour defrost interval, or 4 defrost a day, which is appropriate for a below 0°F freezer. It could be your defrost time is too long, and making the evap too hot, so the compressor is over worked coming out of defrost. And tripping the breaker.

This is my source for originally posting my question. Any comments or suggestions? Seems that they are speaking about 230v. So once again does this also apply to a 115v?. If anyone knows please respond. Thank you

The 115V vs 230V and the neutral/ground questions are a "red herring" put into your head somehow (I suspect by the "refrigeration tech" mentioned in post#1). Ignore this and find another REFR tech.

If they're any good at all they'll also check all the connections
and other work in this dedicated circuit.

 

[beenthere]

230 volt has no neutral.

As for the Supposed True engineer. I doubt he was an engineer. As connecting the neutral and ground together will have no effect on the run capacitor. Most freezers I see, don't have a run capacitor, they have a start capacitor. Which has a bleed resistor across it to bleed the voltage to zero when the compressor is off. Freezer with a run capacitor, the capacitor does not store power/voltage. It also bleeds off through the motor windings.

So no, having the 2 connected back at the box won't harm the freezer/compressor under normal conditions.

Perhaps if you posted the brand and model number of the freezer, we could better help you.

 

[LFYN]

The model is a Randell 2020F. Thank you for your your help.

 

[beenthere]

Can't find much on it. Compressor is small enough 20 amp should be no problem under normal conditions. Do you know what the defrost heaters are rated at? KW?

 

[LFYN]

Update- Ok I could never find anywhere in print or on the unit tags what amp breaker it needed. I just assumed a 20 amp because of the 5-20p plug.
Now I read and please correct me if I'm wrong, that hvac appliances as air conditioners, freezers, etc with compressors and protected motors could use a higher rated breaker then the awg wires called for. Anyway to make a long story short, I replaced the 20 amp with a 25 amp using 12awg wiring with the 20 amp receptacle. I then babysat and watched. The unit went all the way down to its preset temp (-4). And the compressor turned off and the condensing fans inside continued to do Thier job. The unit slowly warmed up to 0 and the compressor turned back on, once again to cool back down to 0. I think this is the first time it has done this. After it restarted I checked the power cord, receptacle and breaker to see if they were warm or hot. None were.

Now, is this SAFE and is it CODE? Thank you