Plug BOTH Chest Freezer and Refrigerator into 20A outlet

[2Rocky]

Many guidelines say to plug a refrigerator or a chest freezer into a dedicated circuit. I'm trying to determine if it would be wise, during power outages to plug both the chest freezer and garage fridge into a power strip and run an extension cord to an outlet in the house that is on our battery backup. it woulsd be a 20 Amp circuit.

In most cases both freezer and Fridge would be at cold running temperature already.

Advice appreciated.

 

[mike93lx]

I've had a full size fridge and a full size freezer plugged into a single 15a circuit without problems for many years now.

Just no gfci's for me for food storage , regardless of location

 

[Bert_]

They both only use a few amps.

 

[larry4406]

I've had a full size fridge and a full size freezer plugged into a single 15a circuit without problems for many years now.

Just no gfci's for me for food storage , regardless of location

In my garage I have a standup deep freeze and regular fridge/freezer on a 20A dedicated. Been this way for near 10 years.

 

[rlitman]

...I'm trying to determine if it would be wise, during power outages to plug both the chest freezer and garage fridge into a power strip...

No. Together in an outlet on a single circuit, sure. But together in a power strip is asking for trouble.

...and run an extension cord to an outlet in the house that is on our battery backup...

Also not such a good idea. You're going to need a HUGE battery to be of any help. When you amortize the cost of that battery over the hours of food it will save in it's lifetime, you're sure to be better off just throwing out food after a prolonged power outage. And refrigerators don't need to run during short outages.

The wiser option would be to fill up any open space in your freezer with ice. Bags of ice cubes are good. So are frozen bottles of water. With enough ice stored up, your freezer and fridge should be good for over a week, so long as you don't go opening the door all the time. If your power is out, wait until you need to open the door, and then take a picture with your phone to remember what you've left in there.

 

[mike93lx]

In my garage I have a standup deep freeze and regular fridge/freezer on a 20A dedicated. Been this way for near 10 years.

I will be running a new circuit for mine in order to get it into my panel that has the interlock, and it will be a 20 with #12, but only because I have all the wire already. If I didn't, it would get a 15 as they'll never need more and copper has gotten all kinds of stupid

 

[Fixr]

No. Together in an outlet on a single circuit, sure. But together in a power strip is asking for trouble.

I would think a good-quality integrated .triple tap extension cord would be fine for the few amps refrigerators and freezers use. Something along these lines (only without the magical glowing ends on an unplugged cord)

 

[Metal-Marc]

I would think a good-quality integrated .triple tap extension cord would be fine for the few amps refrigerators and freezers use. Something along these lines (only without the magical glowing ends on an unplugged cord)

It depends on what gauge the extension is. I'd go with a 12AWG extension, just because...

 

[Fixr]

It depends on what gauge the extension is. I'd go with a 12AWG extension, just because...

Me too. I guess I assumed that "good quality" implied larger gauge. But to be fair, the power cords on my refrigerator and freezers are nowhere near 12 gauge. Probably 16, but the smallest could conceivably be 18. I'm not gonna go look. From memory, I think that one of them is rated 3.2 amps, and the compressors are off a lot more than they are on. The only situation that I can see being a problem with mine while running on a portable generator is if somehow all three kicked on their compressors at once, and that surge would just be a few seconds. But I would still use a 12 gauge cord because I have plenty.

 

[sparky 1971]

Open the doors and read the nameplates, I would bet they are less than 10 amps combined and would have no problem using a tri-tap cord or adapter and running a 14 gauge for them. For that matter, depending on the length, I wouldn't lose any sleep using a 16 gauge cord if it's all I had.

 

[PhantomEB]

i Am to assume you verified the breaker is to be 20 amps too?

I need to do this before I start upgrading freezers and fridges downstairs as we got **** all over the place, a wine fridge in the bar counter for someone who rarely drinks wine, but I have to go down to the 4th floor for my daily hydration drinks.

chest freezer is always full so I said time to replace that with two standups, she went when I said the ones from Costco got drawers and reversible doors so you get your dream French door freezer! Lol

 

[rlitman]

Open the doors and read the nameplates, I would bet they are less than 10 amps combined and would have no problem using a tri-tap cord or adapter and running a 14 gauge for them. For that matter, depending on the length, I wouldn't lose any sleep using a 16 gauge cord if it's all I had.

Not explaining this to you, because I know you get it, but for others reading this who were mystified as to why 16 is fine:
Wire ampacity has everything to do with heat. We use massively oversized wires inside walls, because we assume they're buried in enclosed and insulated spaces, so we need wires that don't warm up significantly. The 17 gauge wire on your 14A vacuum cleaner warms up, but the insulation doesn't melt, because it's in the open air, and the 24 gauge wire in the motor's commutator carrying the SAME current does just fine because it's varnish insulation withstands higher temperatures than thermoplastic plus it's actively cooled by the motor's airflow.

I too wouldn't lose any sleep over using a 16 gauge triple tap cord for a fridge and freezer. Just don't buy a 100' cord, wind the excess into a tight loop and seal that loop into a cardboard box.

 

[Metal-Marc]

I wouldn't lose any sleep

I too wouldn't lose any sleep

You will have nightmares for not going overkill.

 

[Snapped-off]

Just bought a new 25' 16awg "cold weather" cord to keep in the car to plug it in at work.

 

[acer66]

Interesting, I heard/was told many time over the years to never plug a fridge into an extension cord.

 

[mike93lx]

Interesting, I heard/was told many time over the years to never plug a fridge into an extension cord.

Extension cords are a wild card. Without knowing length, gauge and quality, no manufacturer will recommend using one

A fridge is just an electrical appliance, you just need to know the parameters to size the cord properly, or wildly oversize as a fail safe

 

[PopcornSutton]

I have two upright freezers and one medium size frig on a 20A circuit. The room is within 12 feet of the panel and it has 12ga wire. Been that way for several years without a hitch.

 

[larry_g]

Another thing to consider in this is if your plugging both units into the same receptacle that the receptacle is up to the the task. A cheap backstab might not be what you want in that position.

 

[mike93lx]

Another thing to consider in this is if your plugging both units into the same receptacle that the receptacle is up to the the task. A cheap backstab might not be what you want in that position.

If you know enough to think of that, I hope you have already replaced all backstab receptacles

 

[mm08822]

If you know enough to think of that, I hope you have already replaced all backstab receptacles

Or just switch them over to using the side screws.

 

[teknikfrog]

I've had a full size fridge and a full size freezer plugged into a single 15a circuit without problems for many years now.

Just no gfci's for me for food storage , regardless of location

Same. Actually I have two fridges and a freezer. Though I've only run both fridges once for a few weeks when my kitchen fridge was out (one is a spare)