Okay guys, need some advice here. My Daughter and Son-in-law bought a new house a couple of years ago. Like brand new. And I guess they have had this problem the whole time and I just found out about it now. When the Fridge is plugged into the dedicated fridge outlet, it cycles on and off over and over. Like the panel shuts off and restarts. I guess the builder replaced the control board, but it still kept happening. But when the fridge is plugged into another outlet, it works fine. Except the closest outlet is on a GFCI. And if anything much else gets plugged in to that set of GFCI outlets, it trips the GFCI and the fridge loses power. The kids haven't had a problem with this because they have always caught it when it tripped. But a couple weeks ago they were out of the country and had a friend come and clean the house and must have tripped the GFCI and they lost everything in the fridge and freezer. Anyway, they just told me last weekend about it. I suggested maybe an appliance surge protector to even out any spikes, and I noticed the fridge breaker had orange writing on it, but all the rest were white. So they got a new refrigerator surge protector AND replaced the breaker. It is still resetting. I suggested replacing the outlet, but have no idea after that. Any thoughts?
Refrigerator Resetting
- Thread starter Skooterj
- Start date
wssix99
Well-known member
1) Use a simple tester like this to look for basic faults:
2) Use a voltmeter to monitor the voltage in the other part of the outlet with the refrigerator plugged in. The voltage should be steady. If it fluctuates, that could indicate a bad outlet, loose wire, etc. and would explain the "resetting."
3) If its not one of the two things above, we'd have to blame this on an alien invasion or gremlins without more details on the refrigerator. The other thing -> the cheapest pieces of junk appliances go into new houses...
2) Use a voltmeter to monitor the voltage in the other part of the outlet with the refrigerator plugged in. The voltage should be steady. If it fluctuates, that could indicate a bad outlet, loose wire, etc. and would explain the "resetting."
3) If its not one of the two things above, we'd have to blame this on an alien invasion or gremlins without more details on the refrigerator. The other thing -> the cheapest pieces of junk appliances go into new houses...
Gozo
Well-known member
Taking a wild stab at it… if there’s a loose connection somewhere in the power wiring, when the compressor kicks in, the voltage drops and the logic board resets. And round and round it goes. Measure the voltage at the socket with a toaster plugged in (over kill). Shouldn’t drop more than a few percent. If more, start tracing backwards.
Wssix beat me to it. Same idea.
Wssix beat me to it. Same idea.
I do not have a picture. It is a Siemens box and the breaker looked the same all all the rest except the writing was in orange. My son in law is working on changing out the outlet.
I'm not familiar with Siemens, but I would assume the orange denotes something, like arc fault.
I'm thinking of the fridge has been swapped out the problem is in the wiring. Could be a loose outlet...
Basic tester says everything is good. Haven't stuck a voltmeter on it yet.1) Use a simple tester like this to look for basic faults:
2) Use a voltmeter to monitor the voltage in the other part of the outlet with the refrigerator plugged in. The voltage should be steady. If it fluctuates, that could indicate a bad outlet, loose wire, etc. and would explain the "resetting."
3) If its not one of the two things above, we'd have to blame this on an alien invasion or gremlins without more details on the refrigerator. The other thing -> the cheapest pieces of junk appliances go into new houses...
Surprisingly, this builder uses Bosch appliances.
RegeSullivan
Well-known member
If that is a dedicated circuit it is likely to be a home run to the breaker panel. So the outlet and breaker are the most likely culprits. I'd start be pulling and replacing the builder grade outlet with a higher quality outlet. Next check the breaker for loose or bad connections, pull it off the bus and re-seat it. If it still cycles, replace the breaker (unlikely this is a problem but anything can happen). If it's still cycling I'd be suspicious of the wire and replace it. If that don't do it move... the house is infested with the sparking veriety of Gremlins.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
I have two guesses. 1) Even if it's not on a GFCI circuit, if it's a new house it's supposed to be AFCI protected, and that's with a breaker. Get that POS out of there and put in an old school, proven breaker. Even if it's not tripping, it could be a bad bus stab or something wrong with the breaker from the factory. 2) The receptacle is back stabbed. Pull the fridge out and change it to a commercial grade receptacle. Both the breaker and receptacle can be picked up at any box store for less than $15 combined.
wssix99
Well-known member
If this makes people feel better... Every manufacturer sells **** and they also sell high end. Builders get great discount on the lower models.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
my thoughts exactly.... poor connection provides voltage for fridge to start up, then compressor kicks in, connection cant handle the load and gives up the ghost. Then load reduces (compressor shuts off), connection restores, voltage returns, fridge restarts.... rinse and repeat...
surprised nobody checked all the connections to begin with
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
deleted...
Are you sure there isn't anything else on that circuit?
Wire sounds garbage. But IIRC there were other gremlins in the kitchen, which makes me suspicious you have another outlet or junction somewhere
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RegeSullivan
Well-known member
That pretty much leaves the wire or a connection between the panel and outlet box as the problem. How hard would it be to replace the wire?
Packard V8
Well-known member
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Bad splice somewhere
I'm sure the wire is stapled, so not the easiest. It is a pretty short run we believe goes up the wall behind the fridge, into the attic, down an exterior wall into the box.
Good news is the builder has a record of a complaint being filed a year ago, so they may cover it under their new home warranty.
And we haven't found anything else on the breaker.
We replaced the Siemans breaker with the same model and used a Legrand Pass and Seymore outlet. No backstabber, everything tight. Checked the hot and neutral in the box, those are tight too.
Abandon the old wire in place, nut all 3 wires together at each and and mark with tape.
Pull a new wire, it doesn't have to be stapled.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
Just for fun, try moving to breaker to a different stab. It probably won't change anything, but that's the easiest thing to eliminate.
Follow the cable from both ends and see it there is a jbox.
Could easily be a nail or screw got the cable. Plumbers have a habit of nicking cables leaving a lil time bomb for later.
Get an extension cord and plug the fridge into another circuit temporarily.
Could easily be a nail or screw got the cable. Plumbers have a habit of nicking cables leaving a lil time bomb for later.
Get an extension cord and plug the fridge into another circuit temporarily.
Yep. Do this and be done with it... Someone probably got it with a nail or screw.
Already tried that.
Luckily, there is another plug right next to the fridge on a different circuit. But it is a GFCI and it trips occasionally if they are using the toaster or something and the fridge cycles on. The lady that cleaned their house while they were out of town must have tripped it and didn't realize and that's why they finally decided to really fix the issue.
This has to be related to your issue. A GFCI shouldn't trip due to load, and it shouldn't trip due to something on a separate circuit.
Did you post any pics of the breaker?
Get a longer cord and find another recept on a 3rd different circuit. Doing this could possibly indicate whether some problem follows the fridge or does it remain with the circuit.
No, the toaster and the fridge are on the same circuit now. And I don't actually know what tripped the GFCI. My kids just said it trips sometimes when they are using other things in the kitchen on the GFCI circuit the fridge is currently plugged into.
And I didn't take a picture of the breaker. It is a standard Siemens. Indiana, 2008 code. No AFCI's.
Siemens® QP 20-Amp 1-Pole Standard Circuit Breaker
Siemens offers a wide array of thermal-magnetic circuit breakers that are the key element for overload and short-circuit protection of your homes electrical system. Circuit breakers are intended for switching and protection of your home's wiring from high temperatures caused by excess current...
www.menards.com
Your OP says the fridge circuit is dedicated. Did you just plug into the counter receptacle for temp use?
If the fridge is it's own circuit, non GFCI, and your counter receptacle is a GFCI on a separate circuit the should not trip each other.
Yes, since the dedicated circuit kept resetting the fridge, they just plugged it into the next closest outlet, which is a kitchen counter GFCI outlet 'temporarily' 18 months ago. But after losing all their food while on vacation, they decided to actually get it fixed for real finally.
kaymccampbell
Well-known member
So, everything but the wire is new. Is it behaving?
Nope, it is not. But it looks like the builder is going to take care of it even though the house is technically out of warranty.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
Things need to get clarified. This is what I have gathered.
When plugged into the dedicated fridge receptacle/circuit, the refrigerator shuts down.
When plugged into the countertop circuit, the fridge seems to work fine, but occasionally the GFCI will trip when more than one thing is plugged into it. Does it matter what two or more things are plugged in, or does it have to be the fridge and something else? If that is the case and the only time the GFCI trips is when the fridge is plugged in, get an extension cord and run it to another circuit, non GFCI protected.
I have a feeling that the gremlin is going to be caused by something wrong in the refrigerator.
When plugged into the dedicated fridge receptacle/circuit, the refrigerator shuts down.
When plugged into the countertop circuit, the fridge seems to work fine, but occasionally the GFCI will trip when more than one thing is plugged into it. Does it matter what two or more things are plugged in, or does it have to be the fridge and something else? If that is the case and the only time the GFCI trips is when the fridge is plugged in, get an extension cord and run it to another circuit, non GFCI protected.
I have a feeling that the gremlin is going to be caused by something wrong in the refrigerator.
Yes, the issue only appears to happen when the fridge is plugged into the dedicated outlet.
I don't think the GFCI trips often, but it has. I think it might be the vacuum cleaner, when used on the GFCI with the fridge is causing the problem, but I did not get more information on this. Just that is had tripped at least once before when the kids were home, the fridge started beeping that it had lost power, and the kids reset the GFCI. This time, the cleaning lady tripped it and didn't realize, so the fridge sat off for a week, ruining all the food.
And they already had a fridge guy out and he said the fridge is working fine. And we checked the voltage on the GFCI circuit with the fridge plugged in and it did not have the voltage drop.
I think the cleaning lady tripped it when she plugged the vacuum in, didn't realize it was a GFCI, plugged the vacuum in somewhere else, and went about her day. Or maybe she tripped it when she was wiping down the backsplash. Either way, it's time to get the dedicated circuit fixed.
That's going to look terrible.
Going up into attic or down into basement and then over shouldn't be too difficult.
sparky 1971
Well-known member
This is a based on if's but if the panel is in the basement and if that basement isn't finished, it won't be a big deal to run EMT from the panel to under the fridge, set a box and run a new cable to a new outlet.
If the panel is in the garage and if the house is a single story it won't be too bad either. My days of fishing into a panel from an attic are over, but I will go out the top of it and turn a romex out onto the wall, set a box with a conduit going through the ceiling and into the attic, and from there shove a romex up. Fishing down to the fridge should be easy.
If the panel is in the garage and if the house is a single story it won't be too bad either. My days of fishing into a panel from an attic are over, but I will go out the top of it and turn a romex out onto the wall, set a box with a conduit going through the ceiling and into the attic, and from there shove a romex up. Fishing down to the fridge should be easy.
justsam
Well-known member
When you are speaking of GFCI in these scenarios, are you talking of a GFCI receptacle or a GFCI breaker that is tripping? If breaker and you are plugging in multiple high current devices, it may be tripping on overload as opposed to fault. Also when you saw 90 VAC at the receptacle did you perchance back up to the dedicated breaker and and see what the voltage was there?
GFCI Outlet. I think it serves 3 outlets total downstream. The dedicated fridge circuit is 20 Amp. We did not check the voltage at the box when the fridge was plugged in, but did check it without a load and it was 120 volts.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
A GFCI is not an OCPD- overcurrent protective device. It doesnt trip upon overload. It is tripping either because its faulty or there is a ground fault on the load side of the receptacle. Try changing the GFCI. if the new one trips then you know its a ground fault either in the wiring or the load connected to it
typically if its a fridge, it will be a broken defrost bulb.