Refrigerator Outlets

Status
Not open for further replies.

Squantum

Member
Location
NY,NY
Customer wants the refrigerator in the pantry.I will run a dedicated 20a 120v line to the refer. I would like to also feed a wall outlet of this outlet. No counters or sinks involved. Two other circuits already feed the counters in the kitchen.
Opinions? Thanks.
 

JDBrown

Senior Member
Location
California
Occupation
Electrical Engineer
If I understand you correctly, you plan to install a duplex receptacle in the pantry for the refrigerator. You also want to install a second duplex receptacle on the wall and feed it from the same 20 amp circuit as the refrigerator. These will be the only outlets on that circuit.

As long as both receptacles are in the "kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area," then you are fine. Your 20 amp circuit will be considered an additional SABC per 210.52(B)(1):
210.52(B)(1) Receptacle Outlets Served. In the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area of a dwelling unit, the two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits required by 210.11(C)(1) shall serve all wall and floor receptacle outlets covered by 210.52(A), all countertop outlets covered by 210.52(C), and receptacle outlets for refrigeration equipment.
If your second wall outlet is outside that area, or if it is something special not covered by 210.52(A), then it can't be on the same circuit as your refrigerator.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
As long as both receptacles are in the "kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area," then you are fine. Your 20 amp circuit will be considered an additional SABC per 210.52(B)(1):

If your second wall outlet is outside that area, or if it is something special not covered by 210.52(A), then it can't be on the same circuit as your refrigerator.
The way I read its wording, the section you quoted does not say that. It says that there must not be any of the three specific types of required and refrigeration outlets in those rooms that are not on one of the SABCs.
If the quote said "shall serve only....", then it would mean what you say.
(There is no prohibition on putting additional outlets in those areas which are not on an SABC as long as they really are in addition to the required outlets.)
Now your point of view may be supported by a different quote from the Code.
 

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
The way I read its wording, the section you quoted does not say that. It says that there must not be any of the three specific types of required and refrigeration outlets in those rooms that are not on one of the SABCs.
If the quote said "shall serve only....", then it would mean what you say.
(There is no prohibition on putting additional outlets in those areas which are not on an SABC as long as they really are in addition to the required outlets.)
Now your point of view may be supported by a different quote from the Code.

210.52(B)(2)
 

mwm1752

Senior Member
Location
Aspen, Colo
Should be no different than having your frig on the app circuit in the kitchen. with exception to 210.23 (A)
 
Last edited:

Cavie

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida
Customer wants the refrigerator in the pantry.I will run a dedicated 20a 120v line to the refer. I would like to also feed a wall outlet of this outlet. No counters or sinks involved. Two other circuits already feed the counters in the kitchen.
Opinions? Thanks.

The ref does not need a dedicated circuit nor does it need and outlet behind it. It is legal to plug it into the counter top outlet. Not good practice but legal. You can also install a dedicated 15 amp circuit for the ref. only. Has any body seen a clock above the ref since the 1950's?
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
The ref does not need a dedicated circuit nor does it need and outlet behind it. It is legal to plug it into the counter top outlet. Not good practice but legal. You can also install a dedicated 15 amp circuit for the ref. only. Has any body seen a clock above the ref since the 1950's?

It used to be common practice to plug the fridge into an adjacent countertop receptacle due to the fact that the fridges had to be unplugged to be defrosted back then.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
It used to be common practice to plug the fridge into an adjacent countertop receptacle due to the fact that the fridges had to be unplugged to be defrosted back then.

Also, there was no outlet behind where you put the refrigerator because the icebox it replaced did not need one. (Really old!)
(And maybe you ran a cord to the pendant light which was the closest outlet in the kitchen.)
 

construct

Senior Member
210.52 (B) (1) Exception No. 2: says a receptacle outlet for refrigeration shall be permitted to be supplied from an individual branch circuit. By definition, an individual branch circuit is one that supplies only one utilization equipment. So I would say nothing else would be allowed to use it. :)
 

Cavie

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida
210.52 (B) (1) Exception No. 2: says a receptacle outlet for refrigeration shall be permitted to be supplied from an individual branch circuit. By definition, an individual branch circuit is one that supplies only one utilization equipment. So I would say nothing else would be allowed to use it. :)

exception and shall are the key words here. Ref are wired to the SABC 24/7/365 everywhere I have been.
 

Hendrix

Senior Member
Location
New England
Also, there was no outlet behind where you put the refrigerator because the icebox it replaced did not need one. (Really old!)
(And maybe you ran a cord to the pendant light which was the closest outlet in the kitchen.)

I still have an Ice Box. It's now used as a liqueur cabinet:happyyes:
 
Last edited:

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
It used to be common practice to plug the fridge into an adjacent countertop receptacle due to the fact that the fridges had to be unplugged to be defrosted back then.
You could also adjust the thermostat - they usually had an "off" position. I think you still can find newer refrigerators without automatic defrost, especially in the lower line models commonly used in apartments.
 
Last edited:

mwm1752

Senior Member
Location
Aspen, Colo
210.52 (B) (1) Exception No. 2: says a receptacle outlet for refrigeration shall be permitted to be supplied from an individual branch circuit. By definition, an individual branch circuit is one that supplies only one utilization equipment. So I would say nothing else would be allowed to use it. :)

"shall be permitted" IMO in this exception would indicated an option for the electrician if indeed he did not want the refrig on an app circuit. I practiced this method during my contracting times. If you used a 20a circuit there could be a future option of adding app recepts if needed, a 15a limits the install.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top