Is a fridge a fixed appliance?

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zappy

Senior Member
Location
CA.
Also if the fridge is on the SABC do you need to add the watts of the fridge to the load calc.
 

suemarkp

Senior Member
Location
Kent, WA
Occupation
Retired Engineer
You do? Isn't part of the 1500 VA load on small appliance circuit used to cover the fridge and portable microwave? Only a built in microwave would require a separate circuit and load value. Perhaps if the fridge is on its own 15A circuit would you add its nameplate value to account for it. If it was on its own 20A circuit, I would expect this to be a small appliance circuit and hit you with another 1500 VA.
 

brantmacga

Señor Member
Location
Georgia
Occupation
Former Child
Is a fridge a fixed appliance?

No. Unless its built-in.

Also if the fridge is on the SABC do you need to add the watts of the fridge to the load calc.

No.


suemarkp said:
If it was on its own 20A circuit, I would expect this to be a small appliance circuit and hit you with another 1500 VA.

Off my head w/o looking at the code, I would say no, you do not count it as another SABC. You would use the nameplate for the load calc.

While its not a fixed appliance (unless built-in), its not one that is readily moved, and its a known load, so there would be no need to add another SABC to the load calc.
 

Twoskinsoneman

Senior Member
Location
West Virginia, USA NEC: 2020
Occupation
Facility Senior Electrician
You do? Isn't part of the 1500 VA load on small appliance circuit used to cover the fridge and portable microwave? Only a built in microwave would require a separate circuit and load value. Perhaps if the fridge is on its own 15A circuit would you add its nameplate value to account for it. If it was on its own 20A circuit, I would expect this to be a small appliance circuit and hit you with another 1500 VA.

I think this is right on. If it's on a 15a circ 220.52 EX says you don't add it to calculations. If it is on 20A it is by definition a SABC and would have to be calculated at 1500VA . Also 210.52(B)(1) specifically requires the fridge to be served by SABC unless installed with individual 15a circ.


220.52 Small-Appliance and Laundry Loads ? Dwelling
Unit.
(A) Small-Appliance Circuit Load. In each dwelling unit,
the load shall be calculated at 1500 volt-amperes for each
2-wire small-appliance branch circuit as covered by
210.11(C)(1). Where the load is subdivided through two or
more feeders, the calculated load for each shall include not
less than 1500 volt-amperes for each 2-wire smallappliance
branch circuit. These loads shall be permitted to
be included with the general lighting load and subjected to
the demand factors provided in Table 220.42.
Exception: 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.
 

iMuse97

Senior Member
Location
Chicagoland
Also if the fridge is on the SABC do you need to add the watts of the fridge to the load calc.

If the fridge is moveable (ie. not bolted in place such as a dishwasher) AND cord connected it is not a fixed appliance.

And ONEman gave you the code exception for the rest of your question. What a guy! give all the relevant info., not just an opinion, which doesn't count on the NEC or Calculations portions of this forum, anyway.
 

zappy

Senior Member
Location
CA.
Ok let me see if I have this straight. If its on the SABC add the nameplate rating of the fridge to the load calc. If you run a dedicated circuit 15amp to it then you dont have to add the watts of the fridge to the load calc.
 

raider1

Senior Member
Staff member
Location
Logan, Utah
If its on the SABC add the nameplate rating of the fridge to the load calc. If you run a dedicated circuit 15amp to it then you dont have to add the watts of the fridge to the load calc.

Actually it is the other way around. If the fridge is on one of the kitchen small appliance branch circuits then you don't need to add the nameplate to the calculated load due to the SABC already being calculated at 1500 VA. IMHO If you choose to install a separate circuit for the fridge then you would need to add the nameplate VA to you load calculation.

Chris
 
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