lsmartino wrote:

On Feb 1, 6:22 pm, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:
bud-- wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:
tm wrote:
I agree with the GFI protection on all household outlets. Good idea.

No, it isn't. You can get nuisance trips on refrigerators and
freezers. They have grounded cords and they don't need GFCI. I haven't
seen a new copy of the NEC lately, but I was told it is against code in
the US to use a GFCI to power either.

It was never against the code to use GFCIs on refrigeration.

But the NEC used to have exceptions for GFCI requirements in garages and
basements where a refrigerator/freezer would be plugged in. Those
exceptions are gone.

Plug-in refrigerators/freezers using 15/20A 120V receptacles in
commercial kitchens are required to be on GFCI protected receptacles.

The UL allowed leakage for refrigerators/freezers is about 0.5mA.
Tripping a GFCI means the appliance has a problem.

Try to get someone to replace a refrigerator that trips a GFCI once
every six months.

--
You can't fix stupid. You can't even put a band-aid on it, because it's
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- Show quoted text -

Well, I guess that I´m fortunate then. I live in a small appartment
and I have 4 outlets in my kitchen which are feed by two separate
circuits, with a dedicated circuit breaker for each one. Each circuit
is also protected by a GFCI. Each GFCI controls two outlets, including
the GFCI itself. In one of the circuits I have a refrigerator and a
microwave oven plugged in, and the GFCI has never tripped. I´m sure
the GFCI works because it trips when the test button is pressed
turning off everything plugged to it including the refrigerator outlet
which is wired to the output of the GFCI.

The refrigerator is an LG, less than six years old. I guess it is
pretty well insulated, both electrically and thermally.

Of course, I agree that an old fridge probably has enough leakage to
trip a GFCI given certain conditions, but I think that with newer
refrigerators that shouldn´t be an issue.


Refigerators or freezers are reqired to be on a circuit by
themselves. A lot of older homes, or places that were enver inspected
didn't do this. I generally had three dedicated circuits to a kitchen,
and had the ceiling lights on a fourth, shared lighting only circuit.
If a refrigerator or similar appliance with a three wire cord is bad
enough to trip a GFCI, either it will stay at a low leakage, or quickly
reach a point to trip the breaker.

A lot of the leakage current comes from capacitance between the motor
windings, and the motor's core. New or old, this will always exist.
There is a lot higher risk of food posioning that electrocution from a
faulty refigerator or freezer.


--
You can't fix stupid. You can't even put a band-aid on it, because it's
Teflon coated.