GFI Required on Basement Freezer?

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don_resqcapt19

don_resqcapt19

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Staff member
Location
Illinois
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retired electrician
SAAPI said:
Just had the GFI kick on my unfinished basement freezer - lost $500.00+ do I need really need a GFI for a freezer - I was thinking of replacing it with an outlet with a single receptacle?
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The exception that permitted using a single receptacle for a dedicated appliance in lieu of GFCI protection last appeared in the 2005 code. If you are on a newer code, the receptacle must have GFCI protection. With refrigerators and freezers that do not have power conversion equipment (VFDs) a tripped GFCI most often indicates a problem with the equipment.
You could add an alarm to get a notification of loss of power to the freezer.
 
S

SAAPI

Member
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
don_resqcapt19 said:
The exception that permitted using a single receptacle for a dedicated appliance in lieu of GFCI protection last appeared in the 2005 code. If you are on a newer code, the receptacle must have GFCI protection. With refrigerators and freezers that do not have power conversion equipment (VFDs) a tripped GFCI most often indicates a problem with the equipment.
You could add an alarm to get a notification of loss of power to the freezer.
Click to expand...
the GFI is 25 years old - and the freezer seems to be working and didn't retrip the GFI - Just ordered an alarm.
 
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SAAPI

Member
Location
Boston, Massachusetts
found a GFCI with an alarm - replacing the existing unit - and also adding a sensor with an alarm - depressing throwing away $300.00 to $500.00 worth of food :(

of course this week also my condensate pump also blew in my attic - at least it was wired correctly - so it shut off and didn't flood the attic.
 
Ravenvalor

Ravenvalor

Senior Member
Location
Piedmont region of NC
SAAPI said:
found a GFCI with an alarm - replacing the existing unit - and also adding a sensor with an alarm - depressing throwing away $300.00 to $500.00 worth of food :(

of course this week also my condensate pump also blew in my attic - at least it was wired correctly - so it shut off and didn't flood the attic.
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Depressing indeed. Us humans like to shoot ourselves in the foot sometimes.
 
S

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
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Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
SAAPI said:
Just had the GFI kick on my unfinished basement freezer - lost $500.00+ do I need really need a GFI for a freezer - I was thinking of replacing it with an outlet with a single receptacle?
Click to expand...
Is this your own house and is it or is it not in the walking path of your inspection department? Hint, hint.
 
brantmacga

brantmacga

Señor Member
Location
Georgia
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Former Child
There are very few basements here in South Georgia, but my local AHJ exempts all refrigerators and freezers from requiring a GFCI as long as we install a simplex recep.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
SAAPI said:
found a GFCI with an alarm - replacing the existing unit - and also adding a sensor with an alarm - depressing throwing away $300.00 to $500.00 worth of food :(

of course this week also my condensate pump also blew in my attic - at least it was wired correctly - so it shut off and didn't flood the attic.
Click to expand...
Thing I have a hard time convincing some customers is that even if not on a GFCI that alarm is still a good idea. That $500 of food still spoils if power is lost for any other reason or if the thermostat or compressor of the freezer goes out.

GFCI with alarm helps some, if the incoming power is lost the alarm won't sound. If the thing is in a remote room you might not hear it either.
 
Jraef

Jraef

Moderator, OTD
Staff member
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
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Electrical Engineer
SAAPI said:
the GFI is 25 years old - and the freezer seems to be working and didn't retrip the GFI - Just ordered an alarm.
Click to expand...
“Frost free” freezers and refrigerators have a defrost heater coil connected to a timer. Over time the heater coil insulation begins to crack and you can get a small amount of leakage to ground if there is dust and/or moisture built up on it. The older it is, the more leakage there is. Bottom line, once it starts tripping the GFCI, it will likely start happening more often. If you can find a service manual for that unit which shows where the heater coil is and how to replace it, they are not all that expensive, especially in light of the cost of your food.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Jraef said:
“Frost free” freezers and refrigerators have a defrost heater coil connected to a timer. Over time the heater coil insulation begins to crack and you can get a small amount of leakage to ground if there is dust and/or moisture built up on it. The older it is, the more leakage there is. Bottom line, once it starts tripping the GFCI, it will likely start happening more often. If you can find a service manual for that unit which shows where the heater coil is and how to replace it, they are not all that expensive, especially in light of the cost of your food.
Click to expand...
That would be for freezers that have a blower to blow air over a cooling coil for the most part. The defrost heater is embedded within or immediately adjacent to the cooling coil in some way, as that is where the most ice build up will occur.

Many freezer only units just have coil behind the side walls and no blower, haven't seen any of that type with a defrost heater of any kind.
Same units also have the condensing coil embedded behind walls on the exterior side of the unit - no condenser fan either. These units need to be shut down and warmed up whenever you decide it is time to defrost them.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
electrofelon said:
Yeah my inspector in NY doesn't enforce the rule either. If I had one that did, I would remove it after inspection.
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I used to think that way, but have run into units with actual ground fault and missing EGC pins on the plug, that were shocking people.

Also run into ones with an actual ground fault, appliance repair guy told them to get an electrician to replace the GFCI, I ended up finding the fault and told them to call repair guy back and replace that faulted component.

One thing to go into basement or garage and touch live cabinet on an appliance, even more risky to go do it barefoot, which does happen when people are in their own homes.
 
ptonsparky

ptonsparky

Tom
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
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EC - retired
kwired said:
I used to think that way, but have run into units with actual ground fault and missing EGC pins on the plug, that were shocking people.

Also run into ones with an actual ground fault, appliance repair guy told them to get an electrician to replace the GFCI, I ended up finding the fault and told them to call repair guy back and replace that faulted component.

One thing to go into basement or garage and touch live cabinet on an appliance, even more risky to go do it barefoot, which does happen when people are in their own homes.
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I agree, minus the 'I used to think that way'.

Way back when GFCIs were first required, a mechanic shop wanted the GFCI removed. His battery charger worked every where but with that damn thing. The charger had a wire faulted to the case, like in a spot weld. IIRC, the ground pin had broken or been removed. (Who needs that third wire!).

Outside freezer at a grocery that held bags of ice. Damn thing again. I knew it had a fault even with my old Simpson. I tore it down, pinpointed the failed part and left a note for the refrigeration tech. It would trip when it went into defrost. The potting on a sealed thermostat had cracked and moisture caused the GFCI to trip.

Then, my very first confirmation of a faulted 2 wire fridge. Licked my fingers, touched the sink and the fridge. HOLY... thought my arms were coming loose from the sockets. (prior to GFCI). Never purposely tested that way again. I am slow but not entirely stupid.

GFCIs work and they have gotten better over time. Don't expect them to last forever. A 25 year old GFCI would be highly suspect.
 
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scrubbin

Member
Location
PA
Occupation
maintenance Tech
Frank DuVal said:
Interesting. They work inside the Faraday cage called a freezer? I guess if the WiFI router is close by.
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From the website:
If you know how wireless devices work, you might be asking yourself "can I put a wireless device in my metal-clad fridge and expect it to work?" The answer is "yes, you can!" (thanks to our unique version of LoRa long-range/low-power radio frequency technology!
https://shop.yosmart.com/collections/smart-fridge
 
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Rick 0920

Senior Member
Location
Jacksonville, FL
Occupation
Electrical Instructor
I wired (3) 20 amp circuits in the garage of my new home recently. 2 refrigerators and 1 freezer each with a 20 amp single receptacle. Code compliant? NO! Sometimes I think our codes are much like our laws. Our laws seem to protect the criminals and our codes seem to protect the Darwin's of the world. You know the type. These guys will plug into a non-GFCI receptacle and go weedeat barefoot during a lightning storm. So we need to make codes to protect them. When I move, I will remove the single receptacles and install blank plates and mark the breakers as spares.
 
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