Refrigerators in residential units

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necnotevenclose

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Who puts refrigerators on their own dedicated outlet and circuit? I was looking through some refrigerator manufactuers installation guides and the wording is pretty vague. Some manufactuers call out for a dedicated outlet while some callout for a dedicated circuit. I'm not sure of how to approach this. Since to me it would be a cost savings not to provided a dedicated circuit.
 
Raider1, I guess my question is why? Some manufactuers don't provide total unit watts or amps some just give running amps which is less than 2 amps. Why put it on it's own dedicated circuit?
 
210.52(B)(1) says that the 2 small appliance branch circuits, in addition to the other things mentioned, shall serve the receptacle for refrigeration equipment. There is an exception to this that states "The receptacle outlet for refrigeration equipment shall be permitted to be supplied from an individual branch circuit rated 15 amperes or greater".(See Exception No. 2 to 210.52(B)(1)).

So I guess that the reason is that I don't like to put the refrigerator on the small appliance branch circuit, and instead opt to use the exception and install a dedicated 15 amp circuit just for the refrigerator.

Chris
 
Along the same query is the great debate of dish and dispopal sharing a circuit. I personally, depending on layout, would rather add an extra circuit for the refer but would share with a ctop recep close to the refer in most cases.
 
necnotevenclose said:
Who puts refrigerators on their own dedicated outlet and circuit?
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I do...but that costs extra...and it's a 20A, not a 15A...basically the same cost (#12 wire being the added cost) .
 
I have always had the refrigerator on a 20 amp dedicated circuit. I can't tell you how many times I have had to go back years after the install and wire for a sub zero refrigerator. I believe they require a dedicated circuit-- at least by specs.

I guess I do this extra because I almost exclusively work on custom homes. I tend to over wire my circuits. I still use #12 for all my outlets-- but lets not start that debate again.
 
I see about a 50-50 ratio. About half the contractors in this area install the refrigerator outlet on its own circuit and the other on one of the small appliance circuits, usually ahead of the first gfci countertop outlet.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I have always had the refrigerator on a 20 amp dedicated circuit. I can't tell you how many times I have had to go back years after the install and wire for a sub zero refrigerator. I believe they require a dedicated circuit-- at least by specs.
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The last 40 or so Sub-Z's I did required a dedi. circuit.
 
I knew a guy around here who use to wire every receptacle in the kitchen on a separate circuit. Dang--- talk about going the extra mile-- he went 5 miles.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I have always had the refrigerator on a 20 amp dedicated circuit. ... I almost exclusively work on custom homes. I tend to over wire my circuits. I still use #12 for all my outlets-- but lets not start that debate again.
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Me too. I figure the price of 12 into the numbers I give my customers. But thats just me.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I have always had the refrigerator on a 20 amp dedicated circuit. I can't tell you how many times I have had to go back years after the install and wire for a sub zero refrigerator.
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Dennis obviously it's your choice but I can't help but wonder why you want to give away future work.

I assume you made money each time you went back to run a dedicated circuit.
 
iwire said:
Dennis obviously it's your choice but I can't help but wonder why you want to give away future work.

I assume you made money each time you went back to run a dedicated circuit.
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I already had the dedicated circuit there. That was my point. I still have to go back and get the recep. in the right place but it is less work.

Think of the hassel it would be if you have a finished basement and a second floor on the house. Not to mention the damage to rewire it. My customers pay enough up front. I am content with that.

It's not all about money for me. It sounds like you are endorsing the absolute code minimum when you wire. I guess that is your choice. I feel better doing what I do.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
It sounds like you are endorsing the absolute code minimum when you wire.
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Absolutly, you bet......if that is what the customer is paying for, it is their money, their choice.

I guess that is your choice.
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Here on this forum you will often see me fight for our right to wire to code minimum.

That has nothing at all to do with how I work. :cool:
 
Dennis Alwon said:
It sounds like you are endorsing the absolute code minimum when you wire. I guess that is your choice.
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I don't understand why code minimum is such a bad thing. The NEC is very conservative and for most installations, especially residential, code minimum is more than adequate.

As Bob said, the company we both work for rarely wires anything to code minimum, but we should never assume we can spend the customer's money any way we wish.
 
peter d said:
I don't understand why code minimum is such a bad thing.
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Peter-- you have to admit that there is a point in which the code minimum is not enough in many cases.

If you buy into the concept that has been talked around here about the number of outlets on a circuit being unlimited, then you would agree that wiring the entire house of receptacles on one circuit is a bad idea.

I know that I gave an extreme example but everyone has their cutoff point as to what they are comfortable with. I am not comfortable with code miminum in many cases.

I can't remember the last time I did a kitchen with just 2 small appliance circuits. When the house get to be 6,000 sq. ft and up you have to adapt to the larger space.

I don't care what others do and I never condemn others for doing the minimum-- it is just not for me and I don't feel it's adequate for many of the houses I do.

The code says it's okay to put all the bathroom recep. on one cir. I did that once and had call backs because the kids and a parent wanted to blow dry their hair at the same time. Of course, it is not my problem but when you do large homes the customers, at least my customers, expect a little more than minimum.

I had one customer who wanted every outlet in the house wire in #10. I was smart enough to tell him to get another electrician . Most of my customers are very appreciative and they know it will cost more.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
Peter-- you have to admit that there is a point in which the code minimum is not enough in many cases.
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Yes, but I think those cases are rare. I am not saying I never go above code. I have only wired one custom home, and I added a few extra 20 amp circuits in the kitchen and I put the master bath on its own circuit. But everything else was to minimum code, circuit wise.

The question I always ask: How many people live in these homes? 4? 5? Maybe 6? I don't see how the electrical demand is going to increase just because the home is bigger.
 
peter d said:
The question I always ask: How many people live in these homes? 4? 5? Maybe 6? I don't see how the electrical demand is going to increase just because the home is bigger.
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When I look around my own home (which is quite modest by local standards), I'm sometimes amazed at all the gadgets, appliances and miscellaneous electrical "stuff" we have. My parents had a radio/TV console in the living room, a clock radio in their bedroom, my mom's sewing machine, a washing machine, a refrigerator, a stove, a mixer, a vacuum cleaner, the blower in the gas furnace, and that's about it other than a couple of lamps and a few ceiling lights. The only power tool I can think of was a drill, and that was a recent addition.

Now, a larger house has a huge refrigerator, dishwasher, cooktop, exhaust fan, double ovens, built-in microwave/convection oven, disposal, electric can-opener, mixer, blender, juicer, hand mixer, pop-corn popper, warming drawer, chafing dishes, crock pots, electric frying pans, butler's pantry with second disposal, second dishwasher, wine cooler, maybe an island with a second cooktop and who knows how many other appliances I can't remember. And we're still in the kitchen, which has more lights all by itself than my parents' whole house.

Yeah, big houses can suck up electricity. Think of all the big houses that are not only expensive to heat or cool inside, but heat the driveways and walkways so they don't have to deal with snow.
 
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