GFCI & refrigerator - puzzling situation

[hookem]

I'm a homeowner-class handyman, not a trained electrician, but I've done my fair share of minor electrical repairs and additions. This situation has me puzzled and I'm hoping to find good advice.

Situation: we relocated from across the country to Texas in August, bringing with us a "secondary" refrigerator that we purchased in ~2006. Regular size, very plain, no icemaker, standard two door top-freezer. It has spent its entire life in two different garages, always on a GFCI circuit, and I do not recall it EVER tripping it in its two former homes. In our current home we have the fridge in the laundry room, but the circuit it's plugged into is an extension of the nearby garage's GFCI circuit. (I do not know the electrical order of the various plugs, but assume the GFCI one is first.....which is in the garage.)

When we first moved in to our current home (built in 2005), this fridge tripped the GFCI plug within about 24 hours, and after I reset the plug it ran for a couple of more days before tripping again. Then I would reset it & trip within 5-10 seconds (the last time causing a noticeable "flash" inside the box - ouch). I thought the GFCI plug had gone bad....I have seen this happen before......so I replaced it, and of course while at it I found about 2 inches of copper wire scorched (obviously from the "flash") so I cut that back to good copper while I was at it.

It ran without tripping for 4 weeks, tripped once and I reset it. It then ran again for 2 weeks without tripping. But this week it has tripped twice. Nothing else is plugged into the circuit besides the refrigerator.

I have read all kinds of debate about refrigerators and GFCI plugs in this and other forums, with no clear consensus as far as I can tell. I think my options are:
1. call an appliance repair service to check out the refrigerator, and bill any repair costs back to the moving company (I still have ~40 days to file a supplemental claim). However, it may be that no "repair" is warranted ,and then I'm out the service fee AND I still have the same problem.
2. replace the GFCI plug with a standard plug.....bad idea for the rest of the garage circuit for sure, and in addition this would leave a refrigerator with no GFCI protection in a laundry room, separated from the washing machine by a dryer.
3. determine whether or not I can feasibly run a new 120V circuit to the laundry room OR (if I'm really lucky and the wiring goes through the attic...unlikely because this is a 2-story house) just move the laundry room's 120V plug to a different circuit. (An attic is directly above the garage, but a 2nd-floor bathroom is directly above the laundry room....and the plug in question is at the far side of the laundry room, farthest from the garage.)
4. Call an electrician and let him figure it out (for a price of course).
5. other options?

By the way, I recently took the time to look at the coils at the bottom of the refrigerator...they were VERY DIRTY so I cleaned them as best I could, hoping that would be the end of it. But no, two GFCI trips since then.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you.

 

[Alchymist]

Megohmeter on the fridge - sounds like the insulation might be starting to go. At least eliminate it as a cause......

 

[pattenp]

If you never had any issues with this frig at other places I believe the circuit has some issue down stream from the GFCI outlet. You need to check that circuit along the way from outlet to outlet to where the frig is connected making sure all connections are tight and there is no wire damage anywhere, at least where you can inspect the wire.

 

[danielzig]

You should run a separate circuit for the fridge anyway. I wold say do this first and see if it solves your problem.

 

[rust buster]

I'm not an electrician, but I do know that where I live it is against code to put a fridge on a GFCI. I don't know the reason behind it though. I had the same problem in a rental house I owned. The fridge was on a dedicated GFCI circuit and kept tripping. I read the code, replaced with a regular outlet and have had no issues.

 

[pattenp]

I'm not an electrician, but I do know that where I live it is against code to put a fridge on a GFCI. I don't know the reason behind it though. I had the same problem in a rental house I owned. The fridge was on a dedicated GFCI circuit and kept tripping. I read the code, replaced with a regular outlet and have had no issues.

Being in VA you got my curiosity up. Who's code is that?

 

[danielzig]

I do not know the code here in Chicago, but I have a fridge and a chest freezer in my garage. I have each on its own single receptacle circuit without gfci because I don't want the circuit or gfci tripping for any little reason and all the food gong bad.

 

[rust buster]

Being in VA you got my curiosity up. Who's code is that?

Sorry, was referring to the rental house, which was in MA, still call there home even though I'm in VA now. I had an electrician come out when I had the problem and that was what he told me.

This is what I read before I called him to verify...not saying it is ground truth.

"In kitchens you are required now by the NEC to dedicate a non-GFCI outlet for refrigerators. This is because on the motor's start cycle the chances of tripping the GFCI's switch is more likely. So in answer to your question you can operate a refrigerator on a GFCI but more than likely it will trip and any food inside will spoil as you may not know when the power drops.

Don't do it, dedicate a circuit for the basement's refrigerator and eliminate a potential problem."

 

[domain]

Quick amp spike due to compressor start up really confuses a gfci. Use a standard outlet on a dedicated circuit.

 

[pattenp]

Sorry, was referring to the rental house, which was in MA, still call there home even though I'm in VA now. I had an electrician come out when I had the problem and that was what he told me.

This is what I read before I called him to verify...not saying it is ground truth.

"In kitchens you are required now by the NEC to dedicate a non-GFCI outlet for refrigerators. This is because on the motor's start cycle the chances of tripping the GFCI's switch is more likely. So in answer to your question you can operate a refrigerator on a GFCI but more than likely it will trip and any food inside will spoil as you may not know when the power drops.

Don't do it, dedicate a circuit for the basement's refrigerator and eliminate a potential problem."

Please let me know what the code section is for this. I can't find it in the NEC.

Edit: What I found in the 2011 NEC is to the contrary. 210.52 (B) (1) Exception 2. Having the refrig on its own circuit is permitted not required.

*

 

[Falcon67]

Code or not, I would not put a fridge with anything important in it on a GFCI. I have 5 brand new ones in the shop and yesterday one of them died. Strange death too - the GFCI is dead, but the down stream outlets are still hot. My shop fridge is on a GFCI circuit and works fine, but it it goes out I only lose one beer, two waters, an orange Gatorade and 6 diet Dr. Peppers.

Your issue may also - a stretch for sure but - be a comment on recent GFCI quality. My old shop had 4 GFCIs in it and over 12 years, one failed to test properly and was replaced. The new shop has 5 and now a dead one not 6 months from install. That circuit does happen to have a small window unit on it, so there's a cycling compressor down the line from a new GFCI. "I don't know, therefore Aliens" applies

 

[wyliesdiesels]

First step is to check all wiring downstream of the load terminals on the GFCI!

I'm curious which wire arced in the box. Also, have u tried plugging the fridge into a different circuit? Is the fridge plugged into the same outlet as the washer? Is the plug more than 6' away from any possible laundry sink, whereby u could change it to non-gfci protection? (NEC 210.8A7)

BTW, my fridge is plugged into a GFCI protected outlet and it has never tripped the GFCI. My fridge is rated @ 6amps! What is the load rating of your fridge?

 

[Milton Shaw]

You might have a problem with the defrost heater in the frig. A lot of them are glass (quartz) tubes that could have been broken in the move. To check remove the back panel (or bottom panel) in the freezer and physically inspect the heater tube. They are either glass tube or calrod type elements and the glass ones will break and still work for a while but would have enough short to trip a GCFI. My daughter's garage has a GCFI outlet in each box in the garage, each one wired with both line and load leads on the line terminals so that each outlet will trip separately and leave the others working. You might try this with your circuit and then only the refig outlet could be a not GCFI outlet. This is if you don't find anything wrong with the defrost heater. A side note the defrost heater only comes on at most once a day for 15 minutes or so and would give random electrical problems to trip a GCFI that you can not checkand find with ohm meter.

 

[nehog]

Whether or not this is code or not is secondary. I suspect there may be an intermittent problem with the appliance and that possibility should be checked. As well, I'd remove the GFCI outlet anyway, as this is a dedicated circuit. I'd also confirm the ground for that circuit was good at the same time.

 

[pattenp]

Whether or not this is code or not is secondary. I suspect there may be an intermittent problem with the appliance and that possibility should be checked. As well, I'd remove the GFCI outlet anyway, as this is a dedicated circuit. I'd also confirm the ground for that circuit was good at the same time.

It's not a dedicated circuit. The OP said it was part of a GFCI circuit from the garage.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

...... 2. replace the GFCI plug with a standard plug.....bad idea for the rest of the garage circuit for sure, and in addition this would leave a refrigerator with no GFCI protection in a laundry room, separated from the washing machine by a dryer.

By the way, I recently took the time to look at the coils at the bottom of the refrigerator...they were VERY DIRTY so I cleaned them as best I could, hoping that would be the end of it. But no, two GFCI trips since then....

What code requires a fridge to be GFCI protected?

And cleaning the coils will help the fridge to run less as it will more effectively get rid of heat!

Also, how are the rest of the garage receptacles fed from this problem GFCI? Do they feed from the laundry room? U could switch the laundry room to non-GFCI protection and then install another GFCI downstream of the laundry room!

...As well, I'd remove the GFCI outlet anyway, as this is a dedicated circuit. I'd also confirm the ground for that circuit was good at the same time.

Did u read the OP? This is NOT a dedicated circuit- it's fed from the garage!

Also, how does grounding have anything to do with a GFCI? A GFCI will function w/o a ground and can be installed where there is no ground wire available!

 

[eljefino]

You might have a problem with the defrost heater in the frig. A lot of them are glass (quartz) tubes that could have been broken in the move.

I really like this theory.

 

[bassman]

Ok, don't check you're circuit, and don't put the fridge on a gfi port. Outlet. There's no code saying you can't, but you don't want to and you just found out why. The burn on the wire was not from the flash, and gfi's don't trip from a surge in amperage. The fact that you're fridge never tripped a gfi before means nothing, it's doing it now. Motor loads have a tendency to trip gfi's, even an electric shaver. Run a circuit to the fridge with a single, not duex rec. And put the fridge right in front of the outlet so not accessible and you'll be trouble free and in compliance with code.

 

[MrAnderson]

I don't post on this forum much, but I saw this thread as I was browsing for ideas for my new garage. I am in the appliance repair business, so I can give you some advice. First off, most appliance manufacturers don't recommend plugging a refrigerator into a gfci outlet. The most common things that I see trip the gfci is moisture getting into the defrost heater or defrost thermostat in the freezer section. If it was a problem with the refrigerator it would normally trip it on a regular basis (ie every time it goes through the automatic defrost cycle). If the refrigerator uses a defrost timer, I would manually advance the defrost timer to the defrost cycle and see if it trips the outlet. If it does, then either the defrost thermostat or defrost heater (or both) are bad. If you can post the model number of the refrigerator, I can look up some things on it for you.

 

[Ironhorse]

If I had to guess you have an older fridge? The trip rating on the older gfci are less then then newer ones...so if you have an older fridge and a newer gfci it will trip it like this..also a gfci that is going out or on the blink will do this as well. Lots of reasons....if you want to keep the gfci in the garage and replace it....( and I know a bunch of guys will cry about this one ) Try just a normal 15 amp replacement...if it trips..take it back to HD and get a 20 amp one...it will still trip if you have a serious problem but will not trip if you have a little more load draw here and there...

 

[Norcal]

If I had to guess you have an older fridge? The trip rating on the older gfci are less then then newer ones...so if you have an older fridge and a newer gfci it will trip it like this..also a gfci that is going out or on the blink will do this as well. Lots of reasons....if you want to keep the gfci in the garage and replace it....( and I know a bunch of guys will cry about this one ) Try just a normal 15 amp replacement...if it trips..take it back to HD and get a 20 amp one...it will still trip if you have a serious problem but will not trip if you have a little more load draw here and there...

A 15A or 20A GFCI receptacle will not make 1 bit of difference, they are both rated for 20A feed through, & 20A model just has a different configuration & price, there is either a fault in the appliance or the wiring & the GFCI is just doing it's job.

 

[nehog]

It's not a dedicated circuit. The OP said it was part of a GFCI circuit from the garage.

Did u read the OP? This is NOT a dedicated circuit- it's fed from the garage!

Also, how does grounding have anything to do with a GFCI? A GFCI will function w/o a ground and can be installed where there is no ground wire available!

1. Sorry, I did miss that it was a shared circuit. That doesn't meet code either, I'd say.

2. The ground is vital if the appliance is going to be operated on a non-GFCI outlet. That then forces the appliance's frame to be at ground potential.

 

[torqueman2002]

I've found using a load tester for circuits to be good insurance and tremendous diagnostic aide.

I have used an older version of the following tool on lots of old work. Great instructions and clear results.

The tester puts the circuit under a brief small load and analysis the results, checking for shared neutrals, bootleg neutrals, properly wired receptacles, high resistance; not to mention GFCI, AFCI proper operation.

http://tinyurl.com/stop-guessing

 

[Teken]

I don't post on this forum much, but I saw this thread as I was browsing for ideas for my new garage. I am in the appliance repair business, so I can give you some advice. First off, most appliance manufacturers don't recommend plugging a refrigerator into a gfci outlet. The most common things that I see trip the gfci is moisture getting into the defrost heater or defrost thermostat in the freezer section. If it was a problem with the refrigerator it would normally trip it on a regular basis (ie every time it goes through the automatic defrost cycle). If the refrigerator uses a defrost timer, I would manually advance the defrost timer to the defrost cycle and see if it trips the outlet. If it does, then either the defrost thermostat or defrost heater (or both) are bad. If you can post the model number of the refrigerator, I can look up some things on it for you.

I know a lot of folks posted up some good information. But, this member has a very simple and effective testing procedure to eliminate at least 2 things.

I would follow this sage advise, then reply back with the results. If neither modes trips the GFCI, move forward and verify the circuit from breaker to garage.

This does not supersede the need to have that fridge inspected! Because at the end of the day it could be the culprit. Also, in the beginning you mentioned you had this thing on an extension cord?

If so get rid of it . . .

Teken . . .

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Yes, that was some great advice and sounds very probable! Get the fridge checked out by an appliance repairman!

 

[wssix99]

I've had many more GFCI's go bad on me in the past vs. refrigerators! I'd just plug the frig in to another outlet and see how it goes there.

Particularly if this outlet is in a garage, the outlet itself (and the internal electronics) may be bad. (An outlet tester may not be able to show this.)

 

[frankzlt1]

Thats why i never put a refrig on a gfci outlets or breaker. The one biggest problem is you're gone for a long time from you're house and it trips your screwed. I wouldn't want to be the guy who installed it and gets that call.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

You should run a separate circuit for the fridge anyway. I wold say do this first and see if it solves your problem.

I'm not an electrician, but I do know that where I live it is against code to put a fridge on a GFCI. I don't know the reason behind it though. I had the same problem in a rental house I owned. The fridge was on a dedicated GFCI circuit and kept tripping. I read the code, replaced with a regular outlet and have had no issues.

I don't think it is required to be on a GFI.
Sorry if this was already stated.

 

[hookem]

Thank you all for your advice! The two of you that posted about checking the defrost heater/thermostat gave what strikes me as the most *promising* advice (but TBD whether that is the source of my particular problem). Once i have time to investigate further, probably this weekend at the earliest, I will report back with my findings.

 

[budro6968]

My wife noticed the light out in the laundry room fridge,I pulled the bulb and checked in a lamp and it was good. so i looked at the breaker panel and nothing tripped. I checked the plug it was in tight the got out the multi- meter, no power. I thought oh well I'll go make some toast. The toaster oven didn't work either. I looked at the plug it was in good and tight so I pushed the reset button on the GFIC outlet that it was plugged into and it worked. we use the hell out of that oven. I noticed a burning smell from the oven and shut it down. I looked it over and didn't see anything wrong so I plugged it back in and the toaster wouldn't work. The GFIC outlet was a replacement for a 45 yr old regular outlet That I changed out about a year ago. I didn' t know that the fridge was on the same circuit. I'm thnking that the fridge must have been on the defrost cycle while the toaster was on at the same time. The timer switch on the oven smoke checked, maybe that was the reason the GFIC Popped. Anyhow the toaster is toast and the GFIC hasn't popped for at least two weeks and the fridge is keeping my beer good and cold...

 

[carcruse]

You might have a problem with the defrost heater in the frig. A lot of them are glass (quartz) tubes that could have been broken in the move. To check remove the back panel (or bottom panel) in the freezer and physically inspect the heater tube. They are either glass tube or calrod type elements and the glass ones will break and still work for a while but would have enough short to trip a GCFI. My daughter's garage has a GCFI outlet in each box in the garage, each one wired with both line and load leads on the line terminals so that each outlet will trip separately and leave the others working. You might try this with your circuit and then only the refig outlet could be a not GCFI outlet. This is if you don't find anything wrong with the defrost heater. A side note the defrost heater only comes on at most once a day for 15 minutes or so and would give random electrical problems to trip a GCFI that you can not checkand find with ohm meter.

I had the same problem cause my GFCI to keep tripping.