Fridge & GFCI Outlets - Advice?

2 years ago

Newly renovated kitchen with all new electric. Located in Massachusetts, our outlet is within 6 feet of our sink and is required to be GFCI by code. We bought a Samsung fridge that trips the GFCI breaker after running about 5-7 hours. Replaced with same fridge and had same problem. Does anyone have experience with a brand of fridge that operates without issues on GFCI outlet? Considering GE and Frigidaire. Thank you.

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Comments (7)

Chessie
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Doubtful is it the refrigerator. Do a little research and fix the issue.

https://howtofixit.net/this-is-why-refrigerator-keeps-tripping-cfgi/

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/gfci-and-refrigerators.429927/
mtvhike
2 years ago
I have always heard that a fridge should not be on a GFCI (because nuisance trips can be very problematic). In both my old house and my new one, there is a dedicated circuit receptacle behind the fridge.
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GFCI isn't "appropriate" but rather required if the receptacle is within 6' of the sink or in an unfinished portion of the basement. The book Wiring Simplified is a great resource for homeowners. Home Depot carries it for under $10. Many jurisdictions allow homeowners to do their own work as long as the home isn't part of a multifamily dwelling. Check with your local code enforcement folks for rules in your location. This post was edited by mike_kaiser on Fri, Jan 4, 13 at 14:41
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"But I do have in my own house some circuits with multiple GCFI receptacles on that one circuit. In those instances, the GFCI is not connected for feed-thru, but protects only the receptacles in that particular unit, the others are connected the same way. Tripping of one unit affects no others." This type if installation has some real advantages. When something does trip the GFCI it is the one you just plugged into, and it is right there. No hunting for the GFCI. In my workshop I have a number of quad outlets each on a separate 20 A circuit. Each quad is a GFCI and a regular receptacle. The regular receptacle is on the load side of the GFCI right beside it. GFCI devices originally were breakers only, then receptacle. They were so expensive initially (around $35 each) that the first few code revisions allowed a single GFCI proptected circuit to cover bathroom receptacles, outside receptacles, and even unfinished basement receptacles. The dedicated 20 A bathroom circuits came latter. In many cases installations that complied with code initially remain grandfathered. Some exceptions have been made for bathroom GFCI devices and kitchen counter spaces in many local codes. The use of GFCI devices in these spaces is really worth the protection. One of the biggest problems with the HI community is a lack of knowledge about plumbing and electrical codes changes and when they occurred. Even the RE column in the Washington Post (writer recently died) was uninformed about GFCI circuits and their operation. An HI squawked an older house kitchen counter outlet for not having a ground. The seller had GFCIs installed in a 2 wire circuit with the required stickers. The purchaser complained the job was 'not to code' since no ground was present. The advice columnist agreed. It is fully code compliant to install GFCI receptacles on 2 wire circuits.
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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.
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I thought I replied to this post earlier today, but I guess it did not go through. The wiring for the receptacle and the light beyond it sound similar to what I have run across a couple of times in my house. If the power is running to the light switch, then they may have run 14/3 from the switch to the 1st outlet and used the white/black pair to power the receptacle, and the white/red pair passes through the receptacle to provide power to the light that is beyond. The only odd part is that usually you only need 14/2 from the receptacle to the light to make this work, but you said they had two reds nutted together in the box. You can use a similar scheme in reverse if you have power at the light, then 14/3 from the light to the receptacle, and then 14/2 running to the switch. The red wire is just used as a traveler that passes through the receptacle to provide a switch loop from the light switch to the light. I was very confused the first time I found this type of wiring scheme, since it looked like I was working with a 3 way switch circuit. However, it seemed that it was just a way to save running one more 12/2 cable from the light switch to the light. Bruce.
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betsyhf
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks, it is the fridge as it has tripped other GFCI outlets in the kitchen, and other electrical items ran without issues on the outlet that was constantly tripped by the fridge. We also got a replacement fridge (same model), and same problem. What do people do if they have a fridge within 6 feet of sink if code requires GFCI? Just disregard code?
HU-178658043
2 years ago
Not all GFCIs are created equal. Some are more prone to nuisance tripping. Though I've no specific brand name to recommend, I'd try replacing that receptacle with another, also GFCI.
rwiegand
2 years ago
Bottom line is that if the fridge leaks enough current to trip the GFI it is either 1) defective and needs to be fixed or replaced by the manufacturer, or 2) contains circuitry the creates too much electronic noise and trips the breaker. Given that the most current codes now require GFCIs on pretty much all kitchen circuits with no exception for fridges they need to deal with this; if it's a general problem with their design I don't see how they can sell that model.

Not all GFCI's are equal. You might try swapping in a GFCI breaker or a different brand of outlet to see if you get a different result. Your kitchen probably has all the same kind, so perhaps not surprising that they all behave the same way. Leviton are said to be problematic, you might try one from Eaton, Hubbell, or LeGrande.

You can tell if electronic noise is the problem vs a current leak by putting an isolation transformer between the outlet and the fridge. That will cure the electronic noise problem but not a real current leak.

Any new refrigerator now must (and should) work on a GFCI protected circuit.
Chessie
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
"Given that the most current codes now require GFCIs on pretty much all kitchen circuits with no exception for fridges they need to deal with this; if it's a general problem with their design I don't see how they can sell that model."

Google it. There are hundreds of threads online about the exact same issue. Also with a washing machine doing the same exact thing.

https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/53252/why-would-a-gfci-trip-on-refrigerator-circuit

https://howtofixit.net/this-is-why-refrigerator-keeps-tripping-cfgi/

https://forums.mikeholt.com/threads/refrigerator-trips-gfci-breaker.2552813/

https://www.diychatroom.com/threads/refrigerator-gfci-receptacle-suddenly-tripping-multiple-times.514874/

No solutions really, other than replacing the GFCI with a regular receptacle. I would say that whoever designed the kitchen was unaware of the issues with fridges and GFCI outlets (and who the hell wants a fridge on a GFCI anyway? Most appliance people and electricians advise against that).

I assume that the fridge is on a dedicated outlet?? If so, I would absolutely replace the outlet - maybe first try another GFCI receptacle and if it still trips, put in a regular receptacle. If not, I would have one put in so that I'd still have the GFCI protected circuit, but not have the fridge using it.
3onthetree
2 years ago
Read the Samsung installation instructions - it may very well say "not recommended for use on GFCI receptacles." Are you close by inches or feet, meaning the fridge is at least 30" wide - can the receptacle move over behind the fridge to not be within 6' of the sink (so ~3'-8" between sink bowl inside edge and near side of fridge)? Can the cord be routed into a base cabinet on the other side of the fridge to a receptacle under there beyond 6'?

Fridge & GFCI Outlets - Advice?

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Chessie

mtvhike

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betsyhf
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HU-178658043

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Fridge & GFCI Outlets - Advice?

Comments (7)

Chessie

mtvhike

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betsyhfOriginal Author

HU-178658043

rwiegand

Chessie

3onthetree

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betsyhf
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