Refridgerator - seperate circuit?

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Dennis Alwon said:
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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Add disposal, trash compactor, 2 crock pots, dishwasher, blender, and now the latest is designer coffee makers, when I am preparing a meal. at times I can have 5 or six running at the same time, the remod's we do, have 6 or more circuits, and they can still complain they need more.

What if they bring in a commercial unit, like some of the hobart units, you have a 15 in there, not worth cheaping out on, run 12, and use a 15 breaker, why go with code min?

If your wiring some production homes, then go with the 15, after all you would not want to cut the profits, on a home that can gross up to 30% for the developers.
 
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I always install a 15 amp dedicated circuit no matter what size the house.

In this day and age of "energy star" appliances, 15 amps is way more than enough. Most refrigerators are listed at about 3-4 amps.
 
peter d said:
I always install a 15 amp dedicated circuit no matter what size the house.

In this day and age of "energy star" appliances, 15 amps is way more than enough. Most refrigerators are listed at about 3-4 amps.
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I would agree on the 15 for smaller homes, but not for some of the custom homes built today, yes the newer appliances are energy rated, so this all comes down to good planning, if it's a custom home your going to be planning the kitchen, and most likely, making changes right up to completion. Just like anything else, this is a choice made while planning the job,
 
satcom said:
If your wiring some production homes, then go with the 15, after all you would not want to cut the profits, on a home that can gross up to 30% for the developers.
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Like the small added cost would come out of the builders pocket.

Put yourself in the shoes of a tract housing EC, there is no upside whatsoever for going above and beyond, you won't get a pat on the back and it will cut into the ECs pocket.
 
satcom said:
if it's a custom home your going to be planning the kitchen, and most likely, making changes right up to completion. Just like anything else, this is a choice made while planning the job,
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Well, if I'm wiring the house it ain't gonna happen. If they need above code minimum, say for one of those "commercial" units you mentioned, they can pay for it.

Anyway, I like running a 14/3 to the outlet box for the fridge, and then splitting off with the other circuit for the kitchen lights or something else. But there I go with those evil multiwire circuits again. :D
 
iwire said:
Come on man, everyone knows the only right kind of ice cream is Neapolitan.:grin:

300px-Neapolitan.jpg
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Not for me! I love chocolate, I can take vanilla, and I loathe strawberry. I hate it that the chocolate is next to the strawberry! :mad:
 
peter d said:
Anyway, I like running a 14/3 to the outlet box for the fridge, and then splitting off with the other circuit for the kitchen lights or something else.
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So every time the 'fridge starts up, the lights get brighter. :)
 
peter d said:
Well, if I'm wiring the house it ain't gonna happen. If they need above code minimum, say for one of those "commercial" units you mentioned, they can pay for it.

:D
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Of course they pay for it, we might have up to 30 change orders, signed and paid for before the job is completed, some are owners wants, others are changes in the design made after the contract was signed.

What's wrong with multi wire circuits? They have their place.
 
peter d said:
In this day and age of "energy star" appliances, 15 amps is way more than enough. Most refrigerators are listed at about 3-4 amps.
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I agree that a 15 amp is normally enough for most domestic 2-door refrigerator/freezer appliances. I think you're nuts, however, with your 3-4 amp citation. Might want to check into that. Most mini-fridges draw that much. :wink:
 
mdshunk said:
. I think you're nuts, however, with your 3-4 amp citation. Might want to check into that.
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The last two fridges I had to install circuits for only drew about 3.5 amps. Full size. They may have been energy star. I don't remember.
 
peter d said:
The last two fridges I had to install circuits for only drew about 3.5 amps. Full size. They may have been energy star. I don't remember.
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Maybe so. Admittedly, the frige is never around until I'm long gone. I just know that the last few mini-fridge's that I wired up (bars, master suites, etc.) were in the 5-7 amp range, and I know they had an energy star sticker.

In any event, I agree that if there's no appliance schedule on the prints or the specs, and you get surprised with high-current Sub-Z's, that's a change order. It continues to elude me exacltly how to word that in the contract such that I'm bullet-proof on that matter. So far, so good, however.
 
Some of the very large Viking Refrigerator/Freezers draw almost 10 amps. They still only require a 15 amp dedicated circuit.

I bet with all the energy saving compressors etc. the max. load on these units have dropped. I am almost certain that 10 years ago or so they were requiring 20 amp dedicated circuits.

Now, I bet that since the manufacturer requires a dedicated 15 amp circuit many of us have been still hooking it up to the SABC. Nix that idea. Also if you do like I do and run a 20 amp circuit then I guess we better start putting in 15 amp breakers on the circuit.

Maybe even start using 15 amp wire. I never thought I'd say taht
 
peter d said:
Not sure what you're getting at. That usually happens any time a motor load starts, whether they share a MWBC or not.
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Nopthing, really.

\When a load starts up, lights on that line dim while those on the other line brighten. This is normal shared-neutral behavior.
 
LarryFine said:
When a load starts up, lights on that line dim while those on the other line brighten. This is normal shared-neutral behavior.
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I would not call it 'normal' that insinuates that it always happens.

It can happen depending on the load, circuit length, transformer capacity etc.

All line to neutral circuits share a neutral at some point. :)
 
LarryFine said:
Nopthing, really.

\When a load starts up, lights on that line dim while those on the other line brighten. This is normal shared-neutral behavior.
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Oh....ok....now I understand. I missed that you said brighten the first time. I was thinking dimming, not brightening.

I have witnessed what you describe. But I'm not sure about the physics behind it. Is it because of voltage drop on the neutral?
 
Dennis Alwon said:
Some of the very large Viking Refrigerator/Freezers draw almost 10 amps. They still only require a 15 amp dedicated circuit.

I bet with all the energy saving compressors etc. the max. load on these units have dropped. I am almost certain that 10 years ago or so they were requiring 20 amp dedicated circuits.

Now, I bet that since the manufacturer requires a dedicated 15 amp circuit many of us have been still hooking it up to the SABC. Nix that idea. Also if you do like I do and run a 20 amp circuit then I guess we better start putting in 15 amp breakers on the circuit.

Maybe even start using 15 amp wire. I never thought I'd say taht
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If I have a long run to the frig, I like to use 12Ga and protect with a 15A, the starting current is atill there, even with the energy saving units. Some of these homes they are paying 70 to over 100K for the electrical, and they don't want voltage drop problems, from your wiring.
 
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satcom said:
Some of these homes they are paying 70 to over 100K for the electrical, and they don't want voltage drop problems, from your wiring.
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For $70 to 100K, I'll gladly run #12 for the refrigerator. ;)

For a 2500 sq ft McMansion, it gets #14.
 
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