electrical question

[Holden McGroin]

Get a long, heavy extension cord and plug it into a GFCI somewhere else in your house, making sure you are on a different circuit.  If it pops, it is your icebox: if it doesn't, it's the garage circuit.

[Dago]

Tell your wife to turn off the curling iron, a lot of times your garage and bathroom are wired on the same gfi circut.

[Flit]

Is it sitting on a concrete floor ?
 If so, try putting it on a pallet or something. It won't fix the short but should stop the gfi from tripping

[Suave]

Now you have an excuse to make a refrigerator compressor gun.

[john9001]

wile not it's primary purpose, a GFI will also trip from a overloaded circuit.

i know this from hanging 10,000 xmas lights on my nieces house.(big house)

[rshubert]

Originally posted by Gunslinger
What would cause an older refrigerator to pop a junction box breaker (not the breaker for that row of outlets in the main box but the red button in the outlet itself)

The fridge isn't THAT old, maybe under 10 years.  I plugged my 31 gallon compressor into the same outlet and it works fine.  THe fridge causes the the box to trip.

1.  It is a ground fault circuit interruptor, not a circuit breaker.

2.  Refrigerator circuits are NEVER installed with GFCIs under the National Electric Code, because the motor in the compressor allows leakage current to pop a GFCI.  That is what you are experiencing now.  I have no idea why it worked for half an hour.

3.  You need to install a separate circuit in the area for the refrigerator.  That is the only legal and safe fix.  The code allows one circuit in a garage for up to two appliances that is not protected by a GFCI.

Regards,

shubie,

actual real paid electrical engineer
(no charge for this service)

[storch]

Originally posted by rshubert
1.  It is a ground fault circuit interruptor, not a circuit breaker.

2.  Refrigerator circuits are NEVER installed with GFCIs under the National Electric Code, because the motor in the compressor allows leakage current to pop a GFCI.  That is what you are experiencing now.  I have no idea why it worked for half an hour.

3.  You need to install a separate circuit in the area for the refrigerator.  That is the only legal and safe fix.  The code allows one circuit in a garage for up to two appliances that is not protected by a GFCI.

Regards,

shubie,

actual real paid electrical engineer
(no charge for this service)

thanks for posting that

[john9001]

Originally posted by rshubert
1.  It is a ground fault circuit interruptor, not a circuit breaker.

2.  Refrigerator circuits are NEVER installed with GFCIs under the National Electric Code, because the motor in the compressor allows leakage current to pop a GFCI.  That is what you are experiencing now.  I have no idea why it worked for half an hour.

3.  You need to install a separate circuit in the area for the refrigerator.  That is the only legal and safe fix.  The code allows one circuit in a garage for up to two appliances that is not protected by a GFCI.

Regards,

shubie,

actual real paid electrical engineer
(no charge for this service)

i'm running two spare fridges in the garage off of one GFI, no problems

[Gunslinger]

Originally posted by Flit
Is it sitting on a concrete floor ?
 If so, try putting it on a pallet or something. It won't fix the short but should stop the gfi from tripping

That might be an easy fix....I'll try that.


OK I have to admit I am your typical ignorant consumer.  I can tell you how a transistor works but am dumb when it comes to AC and house wiring.

There's a box/outlet further down closer to the breaker box.  I'll try that one and try sitting it on some wood.

[capt. apathy]

I'd go with the advice of the electrical engineer and plug it into a non-GFCI outlet.  (or make the outlet you have now into a non-GFCI)

a new outlet is about $.59

[eagl]

I'd say support your local economy by buying a new (made in USA) fridge, and plugging it into the same socket.  If it also pops the fault button, hire a local self-employed electrician to "fix it".  No matter what line of BS he gives you, just shake your head sadly and agree to pay $500 or more to run a new line from the garage breaker panel to your kitchen.  And then hire an interior finishing contractor to repair the wall after the electrician poked a few holes in it while putting in the new circuit.

Then pat yourself on the back for supporting the US economy in a way that's waaaay more socially responsible than forking over the same amount of money for that foreign manufacturered plasma TV you could have bought instead.

[ROC]

[Builder here]

I'd hire shubie, he get's it.

GFCIs wear if they trip alot.  It's not uncommon for them to just fail after being tripped multiple times.  I typically replace my garage outlets after 3 years of being tripped when the rains make my Christmas Lights short out.  

Shouldn't be one for your fridge.  Those are supposed to be for your counter space appliances near a sink.  You know, so you don't "accidently" slip the toaster in the sink while the wife ack is washing dishes.

Although not a breaker so to speak, they can trip with the surge of power a fridge can show while the compressor starts.  Usually not amped up to handle a load like a compressor starting while something else is on that circuit.

Posting here for advice lends itself to a very important suggestion, hire an electrician to check the Outlet and the Fridge.  Then have the outlet replaced with one that meets the needs of the use.  Is it Grounded?  Do you Have that green wire (that is actually there for a reason) Actually attached to the plate mounting screw?  Is that screw Plastic??  Is it Metal and if so screwed into a Plastic Box?  Oh the many ways this can go badly for you

[AApache]

Fridge may need its own seperate breaker

[Gunslinger]

It's weird.  All by itself it doesn't even trip anymore nore does the fridge compressor or fan turn on.  Yet in the same outlet I can still use all my tools and compressor.  

I planned on making a kegorator out of this fridge in the near future.  

[Holden McGroin]

Your place is probably built on an Indian burial ground.  Our ancestors like to cause confusion.