Refridgerator - seperate circuit?

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bjp_ne_elec

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If you're not involved in a custom home, where usually appliances are well spec'd out - what do most of you do regarding the refrigerator circuit? Is it on a circuit shared with other receptacles? Do you typically run it on a 15A or 20A circuit?
 
Dave-- you are opening a can of worms. This has been battled out many times. Some do separate 15 amp, some do separate 20 amp cir. and others share it with the small appliance branch circuit. I personally have always done a separate 20 amp circuit but with the actual load that refrigerators use a 15 amp is fine. I just never liked sharing it on a sabc.

If you use a 15 amp circuit for the refrig. it must be on a separate circuit. art. 210.52(B)(1) except. 2
 
Dennis would you agree the answer has a lot to do with the type, size, expense of the home in question?

If your wiring expensive custom homes a dedicated 20 seems like a logical choice. :cool:

If your doing smaller homes a dedicated 15 will likely be fine. :)

And if your in the competitive world of tract housing it's gonna be on the small appliance branch circuit.

For what it's worth my own fridge has a name plate current under 5 amps.
 
Bob, I am not sure that is always true. I have been to some very expensive homes and seen all three styles of installation. I suspect most spec homes are done as cheaply as possible. If it is the same size home but custom it will depend on the EC. I tend to wire lighter and larger circuits but I don't have to be competitive. That is the key--- no competition then you can do a little more. Is it worth it??? I am not so sure with the refrig. Like you say most of them don't draw more than 6 amps and even the sub zeros draw less than 15.

I will advise that the bigger refrig. sometimes call for a separate 20 amp cir. It keeps me out of trouble if the unit calls for that. Often the specific refrig. is not specified at rough in so I play it safe.

Heck I did an undercounter icemaker that was 3 amps and it called for a dedicated 15 amp circuit.
 
Awhile back this question came up here ~ 20A vs. 15A for the refridge (or something similar). I checked just about ALL the install pdf.s at the sub-zero site....not one required/recommended/suggested a 20A line - but rather a 15A.

So why use a 20A?
 
Probably a knee-jerk reaction - Receptacle in kitchen = 20 amp.

Of course, during rough-in we often don't have the paper work for the appliances. I'm thankful just to have the cabinet lay-out.:roll:
 
celtic said:
Awhile back this question came up here ~ 20A vs. 15A for the refridge (or something similar). I checked just about ALL the install pdf.s at the sub-zero site....not one required/recommended/suggested a 20A line - but rather a 15A.

So why use a 20A?
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I seem to remember some sub zeros requiring a 20. Now when I say sub zero I am talking generically. It may not be a sub zero brand that I was referring to.

Secondly, have you ever wired a kitchen and they changed the lay out so that a new 2' counter appeared by the refrig. I had a similar situation and I was happy the refrig. was on a 20. Easy fix. It really isn't that much more money to run a 20 to the kitchen. It's more security than anything else.

I agree it is not necessary but some of us feel better with it. So be it.
 
We always run a 20 amp as well. Typically it will just be part of a 12/3 MWBC home run.
 
infinity said:
We always run a 20 amp as well. Typically it will just be part of a 12/3 MWBC home run.
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Oh good now we can argue the pluses and minuses of MWBC.:grin:
Like that hasn't been done before also.
 
electricmanscott said:
Vanilla or chocolate? :)
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Come on man, everyone knows the only right kind of ice cream is Neapolitan.:grin:

300px-Neapolitan.jpg
 
electricmanscott said:
Vanilla or chocolate? :)
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My wife and I make chocolate truffles.

The inside is made of 60% dark chocolate melted into heavy cream and then flavored with some sort of liquor, generally about 2-3 tbsp per pound of chocolate. The concoction sets up into something firm that just dissolves in your mouth. Take the filling and dip it in more molten chocolate, and now you have something structural that will actually make it from the plate to your mouth.

Funny thing is, the flavoring that is by far the favorite in all of this chocolate: Vanilla :) 3 tbsp of _triple strength_ vanilla extract seems just about right. So the answer is always chocolate _and_ vanilla. Lots of vanilla.

For kitchens, I like using separate 20A supplies for _each_ receptacle. Each duplex gets two hots from the two separate supply legs, and all the receptacles in the kitchen share a single common neutral...... :) :) ;)
 
winnie said:
For kitchens, I like using separate 20A supplies for _each_ receptacle. Each duplex gets two hots from the two separate supply legs, and all the receptacles in the kitchen share a single common neutral...... :) :) ;)
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So how many appliances do you think 1 housewife can run at once? :grin:
 
stickboy1375 said:
So how many appliances do you think 1 housewife can run at once? :grin:
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First off that's a sexist comment-- men cook also :grin: Secondly, -- let's see a toaster, coffee maker, microwave, and maybe even a can opener
 
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