garage outlet for fridge


  #1  
Old 01-14-05, 11:47 AM
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garage outlet for fridge

moving an extra fridge we have into the garage. there currently is no outlet in the garage where we want to put it, but on the other side of the wall (dining room) there is an outlet i can probably tap off of. i read that all outlets in garages should be gfci, but then i also read that fridges shouldn't be plugged into gfci outlets (so you don't have a bunch of spoiled food should the outlet trip i guess).

any input for you experts would be appreciated...
 
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Old 01-14-05, 02:31 PM
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First of all, code prohibits tapping off any circuit serving a dining room receptacle for a receptacle in any room other than the dining room or kitchen.

Next, tapping off any existing circuit (even if not in the dining room) risks disappointment unless you are sure that that other circuit can handle the extra load. A freezer is usually a pretty good-sized load and most of your existing circuits probably cannot have that much added. Furthermore, every time that freezer cycles, all the lights on the circuit will dim. Even if this doesn't annoy you, I can promise that it will annoy the hell out of your wife, who will be convinced that her husband is an incompetent handyman. I'm just trying to save your marriage.

So it is better to add a new circuit for your freezer. Whether you do or whether you do find some legal circuit with excess capacity to tap, let me address the GFCI part of your question. All garage receptacles must be GFCI protected with two exceptions. The first exception is for an inaccessible receptacle, and this exception is really intended to cover that receptacle in the ceiling that powers the garage door opener. The second exception is for receptacles dedicated to a not-easily-moved appliance (like your freezer). To qualify for this second exception, the receptacle must generally be a simplex (not duplex) receptacle, and it must be within the space dedicated for the appliance. The intent of these qualifications is to make it as annoying as possible for you to plug your drill into that non-GFCI receptacle.
 
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Old 01-15-05, 07:10 AM
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One additional important point, which I am not competent to address, except to suggest that you research this before proceeding:

Many local building codes require a fire rated wall between a garage and the rest of the structure. Think about it: you store a considerable quantity of gasoline in a garage.

When you do an install in a fire rated wall, not only do you need to meet electrical code, but you must also maintain the fireproof integrity of the wall.

-Jon
 
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Old 01-15-05, 07:45 AM
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Another thing to consider,

I have been told that many of todays fridge and freezer models are not meant to be used in locations where the ambient temp can get cold. I know of at least one instance where the home owner bought a new freezer for garage storage and ended up with thawed/spoiled goods. The distributor gave this explaination. Anyone else ever hear of this?
 
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Old 01-15-05, 07:58 AM
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It's prob the same reason your cars AC don't cool in the winter.

I found this...

If the temperature outside the fridge/freezer, is too low, the freezer won't get very cold. The fridge relies on there being warmer temperatures outside the appliance for the process to work. So if you keep a refrigerator in the garage and you are experiencing cold weather, your fridge will probably be too warm, because it is pumping the heat from the compressor into the fridge.

As the air in the freezer cools, the water in the air (humidity) condenses. Water that condenses in the freezer will freeze into frost. Most modern freezers have an automatic defroster which melts the build up of frost. The defroster is simply a heating element that is controlled by a defrost timer and a thermostat. The water from the melted frost drains out of the freezer into a pan beneath the freezer and evaporates.
 
 

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