On 1/12/2020 10:47 PM, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 12 Jan 2020 18:43:28 -0500, "Tom Del Rosso"
wrote:

I expect a large fridge to draw around 5 amps, but my clamp
transformer (on one wire of a broken-out extension cord of course)
and Fluke together say 830ma when the thing is running. Does that
seem wrong? It measures the toaster oven at 9.1A and the fridge
light at 300ma.

Make and model of the fridge? 117VAC or 240VAC? I can possibly
lookup the expected current drain online and do a sanity check. I
found a few charts that claim a full size refrigerator/freezer should
draw about 700 watts. 5A sounds about right:

Frigidaire FFHT1621TS1


117VAC * 5A = 585 VA
No clue on the PF (power factor) so I'll use VA instead of watts.

If you're seeing only 0.83A, then you're looking at the current drawn
by a fan or light bulb in the fridge, not the compressor. Try
lowering the temperature setting of the thermostat temporarily to
force the compressor to start.

Tthat 800ma is when it's making noise. It's less than 10ma the rest of
the time. The other loads are toaster and microwave so they draw zero
most of the time.

The most unfortunate thing is that all the outlets in the kitchen seem
to be on one breaker. I say so because there is a 3 volt drop on any
outlet when the toaster oven draws 9 amps. In another room it drops
100mv or less.



I'd have a little concern about that 3v drop. It could be just a long
run of wire, (I doubt it) or a poor connection somewhere between,
starting at the box and going to the outlet.
Warning I once connected several freezers to an outlet, in an outdoor
porch. It was fine for years and then one day a got a burning smell.
Tried and tried to sniff it out, but it went a way. A couple days later
I smelled it again. I traced behind a TV, I grabbed the TV plug and it
was very hot. I moved everything out, removed a panel from the wall.
Upon inspection the the outlet crumbled to pieces. The wire from the
Circuit breaker box terminated at the outlet, then another wire was
connected to the box that went to the outdoor outlet. A poor connection
to the box, heated up every time the freezers ran. I was lucky it didn't
start a fire. I installed 220v to a sub box and divided that for my
freezers after that.

Mikek