Refrigerator small appliance circuit or appliance load?

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

julianov

Member
Location
NYC
Occupation
Student
Hello everyone, I am new to coding and also to the English language.

I have a question regarding small appliances. While I understand the code, my inquiry is more about the specific equipment that falls under the small appliance category. For instance, is the refrigerator in the kitchen considered a small appliance (220.52)? or it falls under the Appliance load--Dwelling Units category (220.53)?

Take care that the refrigerator is 1200 VA at 120V

Thanks in advance.
 
Little Bill said:
The refrigerator may be on the SABC or is allowed to be on a dedicated 15A or 20A circuit. No extra load added for this in load calculations.
Click to expand...
That made me look up 220.82 on the optional load calculation for dwelling units. 220.82(B) says to total up, among other things, the following loads:

NEC 220.82(B) in part said:
. . .
(2) 1500 volt-amperes for each 2-wire, 20-ampere small appliance branch circuit and each laundry branch circuit covered in 210.11(C)(1) and (C)(2).
(3) The nameplate rating of the following:
a. All appliances that are fastened in place, permanently connected, or located to be on a specific circuit
. . .
Click to expand...
Seems like if your appliance is "located to be on a specific circuit" and not on one of the circuits listed in (2), then under (3)(a) you have to count it specifically. E.g. a refrigerator on a dedicated 15A circuit that isn't an SABC.

[Also, I don't see any language in (3)(a) exempting those appliances "located to be on a specific circuit" when that circuit is one of circuits listed in (2), even though that would obviously be double counting. So I imagine people just assume that exemption is present?]

Cheers, Wayne
 
Why would you count a refrigerator extra if it's on a dedicated circuit, and not if it's on a SABC?
The load calculation is for the total load.
Now if you were to have additional fridges in a basement or garage, I could see that, but the one already allowed I don't see.
 
Little Bill said:
Why would you count a refrigerator extra if it's on a dedicated circuit, and not if it's on a SABC?
Click to expand...
No good reason, but I'm just reading the text literally. The text doesn't seem to match our expectations.

Are we certain that a refrigerator on an SABC shouldn't be explicitly counted under 220.82(B)(3)(a)? Because a literal reading does count it there, even when on an SABC. And maybe that's intentional, so that you always count the refrigerator explicitly. I'm unclear on the intention.

Cheers, Wayne
 
So, it can be in both circuit for what I'm seeing. But in Mike Holt's Illustrated Guide to Understanding the National Electrical Code, 2020 NEC. 1-Mike Holt (2020) book. He classifies the refrigerator not as an appliance load but rather as a small appliance.

As appliance load he takes: Dishwasher, disposal, water heater.

I think the answer is, it depends on the refrigerator. There are refrigerator with a FLA of 15 amps so it can not fall in the small appliance circuit category and it would need a branch circuit.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top