Dwelling refrigerator

Status
Not open for further replies.

geochurchi

Senior Member
Location
Concord,NH
Occupation
Retired electrician
Hi All, does the NEC require a refrigerator to be on a dedicated circuit? I don't believe so but can't see to find out for sure.
Geo
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
210.52(B)(1) except 2

Small appliance branch circuit said:
(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.
Exception No. 1: In addition to the required receptacles
specified by 210.52, switched receptacles supplied from a
general-purpose branch circuit as defined in 210.70(A)(1),
Exception No. 1, shall be permitted.
Exception No. 2: The receptacle outlet for refrigeration
equipment shall be permitted to be supplied from an individual
branch circuit rated 15 amperes or greater.
 

augie47

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
Dennis...
I'm clear it is permitted.
My thinking is, as long as the refrig does not exceed 80% of the rating if can be on one of the S/A circuits.
Do you agree ?
 

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
My thinking is, as long as the refrig does not exceed 80% of the rating if can be on one of the S/A circuits.
Do you agree ?
It can be on any adequately rated circuit. Must be on a SABC if in a room/area where SABC's are required. Does not have to be a dedicated circuit, but as you say, it cannot exceed 80% of a 15 or 20A circuit rating no matter what.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Dennis...
I'm clear it is permitted.
My thinking is, as long as the refrig does not exceed 80% of the rating if can be on one of the S/A circuits.
Do you agree ?

The way I read it, refrigeration equipment must be on one of the SABC circuits for a dwelling kitchen. If the unit exceeds 80% of the rating then 210.23(A)(1) will require an individual circuit for this refrigerator.

Exceptions allow a 15 amp individual circuit for refrigerator, but it is still considered a SABC circuit IMO, as it is still supplying outlets mentioned in 210.52(B)(1), it just happens to be one of those "or more" circuits when they mention "2 or more" in other sections of code. If you have an individual outlet circuit for the refrigerator, whether required to be separate or not, you still must have at least 2 other SABC's to satisfy 210.52(B)(3).
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
It can be on any adequately rated circuit. Must be on a SABC if in a room/area where SABC's are required. Does not have to be a dedicated circuit, but as you say, it cannot exceed 80% of a 15 or 20A circuit rating no matter what.

If it is in the kitchen the choices are either the SABC or an IBC.

It cannot be on a GP branch circuit.
 

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
If it is in the kitchen the choices are either the SABC or an IBC.

It cannot be on a GP branch circuit.
Even as an IBC (independent branch circuit) it is still an SABC. See the last phrase of 210.52(B)(1). The exception does not say this circuit is not an SABC. Make it a 20A IBC and it is still an SABC.

I stated it can be on any adequately rated circuit because not all refrigerators are located in an SABC-required room/area.
 

romex jockey

Senior Member
Location
Vermont
Occupation
electrician
But i digress

These days i run IBC's to all appliances in a kitchen.

Why? Because mama pajama never can make up her mind on appliances OR they will be updated to some multi functional slices/dices/makes julian fries model from pottery barn ....

~RJ~
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
It can be on any adequately rated circuit. Must be on a SABC if in a room/area where SABC's are required. Does not have to be a dedicated circuit, but as you say, it cannot exceed 80% of a 15 or 20A circuit rating no matter what.
If it is a 15 amp cir it must be on a individual circuit not 80%
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Dennis...
I'm clear it is permitted.
My thinking is, as long as the refrig does not exceed 80% of the rating if can be on one of the S/A circuits.
Do you agree ?

Based on the post above the refrigerator can be on a small appliance branch circuit. I don't see how you calculate the 80%. I don't see it applying here
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
210.52(B)(1): "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."

This says the receptacle outlet(s) for refrigeration equipment in the rooms mentioned are going to be on the two or more required SABC's. A later exception allows an individual branch circuit for refrigeration to be rated 15 amps or greater - does not exempt it from being a SABC though - it mostly just allows us to use a 15 amp circuit for this one appliance. When we get to art 220 calculations we still need 1500 VA for each SABC installed, so you need to consider that it does add more to the load calc when you run multiple SABC's even if you didn't really need to.

Now if we happen to have a unusually high load refrigerator that uses more then 80% of the branch circuit rating - 210.23(A)(1) kicks in and 210.23 is not dependent on whether it is a SABC, bathroom, laundry, general purpose, garage, etc. it just want that appliance on an individual branch circuit applicable to the location. So if we have such a refrigerator in an area that must be supplied by SABC's we have upped the minimum number of required SABC's from the general purpose quantity of two to at least three, one of which only feeds this big refrigerator.

But I also believe this refrigerator is calculated at 1500 VA for load calculations since it is on a SABC in accordance to 220.52(A). Exception says: The individual branch circuit permitted by 210.52(B)(1), Exception No. 2, shall be permitted to be excluded from the calculation required by 220.52, but that only applies to the 15 amp branch circuit allowed for a refrigerator - if 210.23 requires an additional circuit then that kitchen needs at least 3 SABC's minimum.

If you run into such a beast of a refrigerator that it needs to be on an individual 20 amp circuit that is cord and plug connected - it likely comes with a 20 amp cord cap.
 
Last edited:

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
Refrigerator's rated current cannot exceed 15A ? 80% = 12A. How difficult is that??? :angel:

Yes I know what it says but I still don't see how it comes into play. I haven't seen a residential refrigerator that even comes close to 12 amps.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Even as an IBC (independent branch circuit) it is still an SABC.


Not if it is a 15 amp branch circuit. The exception tells us it is an IBC, you can call it anything you want but the NEC is calling it a IBC

Exception No. 2: The receptacle outlet for refrigeration
equipment shall be permitted to be supplied from an individual
branch circuit rated 15 amperes or greater.

Notice it does not say the SABC can be supplied by the a 15 amp IBC it says the receptacle for refrigeration equipment can be supplied by a 15 amp IBC.

Make it a 20 amp circuit and we could call it either.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Yes I know what it says but I still don't see how it comes into play. I haven't seen a residential refrigerator that even comes close to 12 amps.
I haven't seen such a refrigerator myself, but who says you can't have a commercial grade refrigerator in a dwelling? Then on top of that it still needs to be 15/20 amp 125 volt cord and plug connected or it is not part of the required SABC's.
 

Smart $

Esteemed Member
Location
Ohio
Not if it is a 15 amp branch circuit. The exception tells us it is an IBC, you can call it anything you want but the NEC is calling it a IBC



Notice it does not say the SABC can be supplied by the a 15 amp IBC it says the receptacle for refrigeration equipment can be supplied by a 15 amp IBC.

Make it a 20 amp circuit and we could call it either.
What do you call it if the refrigerator is moved to another room/area? (Other than a violation :roll:)
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Not if it is a 15 amp branch circuit. The exception tells us it is an IBC, you can call it anything you want but the NEC is calling it a IBC



Notice it does not say the SABC can be supplied by the a 15 amp IBC it says the receptacle for refrigeration equipment can be supplied by a 15 amp IBC.

Make it a 20 amp circuit and we could call it either.
I agree it is an IBC, but it is still in the SABC section and nothing there states that it becomes a general purpose branch circuit. This makes it an "individual outlet, small appliance branch circuit" if you want to call it that. Now we can debate if a duplex or single receptacle must be used :happyyes:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top