For a complete Kitchen remodel you will need to update the following at least to comply with the NEC 2011 electrical code. New kitchens use 7-9 circuits unlike old kitchens which may have only 2 circuits. If you install an Island that is where you get up to having 9 circuits. Hopefully you don't have an old small main service panel that doesn't have room for 7-9 new circuits, because then they will need to update that or add a subpanel as well to get more spaces. I personally had my tiny 100amp panel with only 20 slots updated to a completely new 200amp panel with 42 slots for circuits. From section 210 of the NEC 2011 referring to Kitchens: (1) Minimum of 2 -20amp circuits to supply small appliances on counter. These will need to be GFCI protected - usually one gfci is installed for each counter circuit and that protects the rest of the outlets on the counter for that circuit. (2) Refrigerator can share counter circuit or be on a separate circuit. It is not a good idea for the fridge to be on a GFCI circuit so often people separate the fridge in a remodel. (3) think about if you will have under counter CFL lights. if you want them to be direct wire or the linkable plug in type. If you are getting the plug in type, have an outlet installed in back of one of the cabinets so later the plug can go up in there. You might even want an outlet at very top wall above cabinets for rope light accent. (4) Lights must be on a separate circuit from counter circuit. Pretty much nothing else is allowed on the small appliance circuit except the fridge. (5) Gas range ignition (120v) outlet allowed on small appliance circuit, but in my area of California we usually put the gas range and hood on a separate circuit together. If you have an electric stove - that is a whole different problem b/c you need 40amp 240v sometimes - some people choose to have 240v outlet installed behind the stove at rough-in "in-case" they ever get a future electric stove or a dual type range that requires it. I didn't opt for this. I just got the normal outlet behind my gas range. (6)Under the sink you will need 2 more 20amp circuits (typically non-gfci protected). One is for the dishwasher and one is for the garbage disposer. They allow you to have one circuit if the combined rating of both appliances does not exceed a single 20 amp. However, because the electrician typically doesn't know what model DW or GD you are buying during wire rough-in, 2 separate 20amps are best to be run. My DW is almost 10amps max and my GD is 7 amps which is 17 already. So you see why it is better to have 2 separate circuits. Plus we may get a future Instant hot water dispenser (11 amps). Sine I have 2 circuits under the sink, I will plug that in to share with the GD to stay under 20amps. The DW will stay solo on the other one. (7) The island is minimum 2 -20amp circuits. I have one circuit supplying the outlets on the side of the island (gfci protected). I have a small sink in the island as well so under the sink, I have outlets on a separate circuit (not gfci) supplying the GD and the Wine chiller fridge. Summary my Kitchen remodel has 9 circuits: 1 - 15amp AFCI all lights in Kitchen & Dining room 2 - 20amp for Island (one required gfci, other for wine& GD) 1 - 20 amp for Refrigerator (not gfci) 1 - 20 amp for Range/Hood (not gfci) 2 - 20amp small appliances circuit on counters (gfci) 2 - 20amp under main sink for separate GD & DW (not gfci) I hope this helps. If you are in California don't forget title 24 and the need for CFL in the Kitchen. This is why I went with Fluorescent under cabinet, but used also Low voltage dimmable LED puck style in upper cabinets, and CFL 2-pin island pendants, and for main lights CFL 4-pin recessed lights (IC & AT rated). There are a lot lot more rules. I suggest buying Code check Electrical guide for a "mini" overview of the requirements. It has about 85% of what you need to NOT forget about in remodels. For example the Kitchen & Bath are two of the few places that do not presently require any circuits to be AFCI type. The rules are a little ambiguous. In one section it says the Dining room outlets must be on an AFCI circuit and in another section of the code it says that the Kitchen small appliance circuit can serve wall receptacles in the dining room. For confusing situations like this you have to call your local Electrical Inspector since they have final say. I know this problem first hand because I have an open style Kitchen/dining room area. Because the code 210.52B1 says that the small appliance circuit could serve exposed receptacles in the dining room, we thought we were good. But at rough-in the inspector said NO - dining room must be on a separate AFCI circuit per 210.12. We had to run a new circuit (AFCI breaker) for the dining room outlets. I actually don't understand why the code is ambiguous in this area. One part says Dining room must be AFCI, another part says the Kitchen small appliance circuit can serve the dining room receptacles. Can anyone shed light on this? In my case there is no wall between the dining room and the Kitchen and my counter runs straight down the wall from kitchen through the dining room, since we use the same base cabinets in the "dining area" for dishes/built in buffet so to speak.

While allowed on the two small appliance branch circuits, deeding on what other loads you commonly use it might be better on its own circuit. A toaster or other large load just about maxes out a circuit. Add a microwave or convection oven, even a large stand mixer and you can overload. Like every induction, the refrigerator compressor pulls a significant start up surge. If the magnetron in the microwave cycles on at the same moment the compressor starts 20 amps may not be enough (even with the 'slow-blow' of an inverse time circuit breaker). If the refrigerator is used frequently every day the odds of missing the power being off are pretty small (unlike the freezer in the basement on its own circuit). Even a coffee maker is a significant load when it is brewing.

txmat -- re your question about GFCI units with a "built in delay," I suspect those are for higher voltage industrial applications and are for protecting machinery rather than protecting persons which is what residential GFCIs are for. What you might want to look for instead is (I think) called a "hospital grade" GFCI. Not time delayed, but more robustly built and less likely to be tripped by the fridge. You probably want to look for a 20 amp version. A brand name is Leviton. (There may well be others, that's just the one that came to mind.) That should help with a search for models and vendors. So, use one of those to replace the existing GFCI per Weed's suggestion. If one of those does not solve the problem, you might try posting your question in the Electrical Wiring Forum here. Also, if your "new to you" house/garage was built before 2010, there may be lesser requirements for GFCI in the garage and you might be able to have the fridge circuit without a GFCI. My recollection is new construction now requires GFCIs for absolutely everything in a garage (except maybe dedicated light circuits) but that prior to 2010, the NEC and IRC allowed you to have a dedicated non-GFCI circuit for a freezer or fridge. So, maybe permissible if you plate over the existing first outlet and remove the outside outlet. (No help if that's the only circuit to the garage). If built prior to, I think 2003, codes may have permitted that line go to other outlets as long as the downstream outlets were GFCI. I don't claim to be any kind of code expert, but hopefully this this helps for further research and is another reason to check out the wiring forum.

Larsi, I hope you can report the brand/model info. of the GFCI to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, maybe send it to them-these are supposed to save lives and prevent hazards, and to default to a non-operational state if protection circuitry fails. Clearly not what happened in your situation. Where I live, BC Canada, most GFCI's now seem to be "CIC", Crafted in China, even the brand names you recognize for electrical components. Luckily you were there, able to respond appropriately, and equipped with the fire extinguisher. Several what ifs lined up for the best outcome of a bad situation. Pity about the Somat, they are pricy aren't they?