Garage GFI warning

[hoosierdoc]

We have fridge and a freezer in the garage. Plugged into diff outlets but apparently on same GFI.

Came out to make a new piece for the pingpong table that broke and tried to turn a fan on, no power. Crap. No breakers popped. The GFI did.

Probably due to heat in the garage this week. Had i not come out and tried to turn a fan on, would have lost a lot of food.

Going to buy a power fail alarm and move one to a diff GFI circuit if I can.

 

[JCSR]

Most refrigerators with vapor compression have what are called inductive loads. When an inductive load is switched off, it can produce electromagnetic interference (EMI). The interference can, and often will, trip a GFCI outlet.

In general GFI's are not very friendly with refrigerators and freezers. I would move both to a standard non-GFCI breaker. I had to do the very same myself a few years ago. They ran for several years on a GFCI breaker until they didn't.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Most refrigerators with vapor compression have what are called inductive loads. When an inductive load is switched off, it can produce electromagnetic interference (EMI). The interference can, and often will, trip a GFCI outlet.

In general GFI's are not very friendly with refrigerators and freezers. I would move both to a standard non-GFCI breaker. I had to do the very same myself a few years ago. They ran for several years on a GFCI breaker until they didn't.

Unfortunately I don't have that easily avail in the garage

 

[Jaybird1980]

We have fridge and a freezer in the garage. Plugged into diff outlets but apparently on same GFI.

Came out to make a new piece for the pingpong table that broke and tried to turn a fan on, no power. Crap. No breakers popped. The GFI did.

Probably due to heat in the garage this week. Had i not come out and tried to turn a fan on, would have lost a lot of food.

Going to buy a power fail alarm and move one to a diff GFI circuit if I can.

Is the gfi a receptacle type or a gfi breaker?

If it's a receptacle you may be able to take it off the load side of the gfi so that it's no longer gfi protected.

GFI don't play well with compressors and motors sometimes.

 

[actaeon277]

Most things have been said already.
But I'll add my 2 cents anyway, caused .. reasons.

1) GFCI could be bad. If it worked before, and doesn't now. Have it replaced. Cheap solution. If that's not it, it didn't cost an arm.

2) If it worked before, and replacing GFCI doesn't work, then the fridge could be getting wonky.

3) In general, loads with motors don't go well with GFCIs anyway. If you can, go where the GFCI feeds that loop, and feed it from the GFCI's feed. So the GFCI is protected, but the loop isn't.

4) They make temperature sensors to put in the fridge, that will let you know if the temperature is outside a range you set. Audible ones, or ones that send a message.

 

[hoosierdoc]

It's a GFCI outlet. Good call on just swpaping out that with a standard one

 

[jerrob]

Most refrigerators with vapor compression have what are called inductive loads. When an inductive load is switched off, it can produce electromagnetic interference (EMI). The interference can, and often will, trip a GFCI outlet.

In general GFI's are not very friendly with refrigerators and freezers. I would move both to a standard non-GFCI breaker. I had to do the very same myself a few years ago. They ran for several years on a GFCI breaker until they didn't.

Is the gfi a receptacle type or a gfi breaker?

If it's a receptacle you may be able to take it off the load side of the gfi so that it's no longer gfi protected.

GFI don't play well with compressors and motors sometimes.

I learned this the hard way and wish someone warned me. I thought GFCIs were the end-all/beat-all. A week old, unrefridgerated half cow taught me that wasn't the case.
Save the GFCIs for your bathroom and kitchen countertop appliances.......................and get alarms too, cleaning 5 gallons of rancid blood out of a deep freezer chest suuuuuuuucks!

 

[Jaybird1980]

It's a GFCI outlet. Good call on just swpaping out that with a standard one

You can keep that one GFI if you want one in the garage. Just make the ones after it not GFI protected. The wires that come out of the load side of the gfi are protected by that GFI. If you take them off of the load side they are no longer able to be tripped off by the GFI

 

[CheeseRat]

If you take them off of the load side, (and put the wires on the line side), they are no longer able to be tripped off by the GFI

I know it's implied, but just to add the "line" part in ()....

 

[actaeon277]

**note:**
** I must be losing it. I thought OP was Houghmade. Duh!"


I would go over and help, but you know, helping lawyers kinda goes against the grain.

 

[actaeon277]

**note:**
** I must be losing it. I thought OP was Houghmade. Duh!"


Besides, I would need an in depth indemnity contract.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I would go over and help, but you know, helping lawyers kinda goes against the grain.

But... he's a doctor.

 

[actaeon277]

But... he's a doctor.

Damn it. For some reason, I thought it was Houghmade.

I must be getting old.

 

[actaeon277]

Dang it.
I'm having a harder time to come up with jokes on medical stuff.

You know, cause I don't want to be put on a nationwide "smarta**" notice to hospitals.
And then I show up with a GSW, and they shake their heads and roll be out the door.

 

[femurphy77]

Most refrigerators with vapor compression have what are called inductive loads. When an inductive load is switched off, it can produce electromagnetic interference (EMI). The interference can, and often will, trip a GFCI outlet.

In general GFI's are not very friendly with refrigerators and freezers. I would move both to a standard non-GFCI breaker. I had to do the very same myself a few years ago. They ran for several years on a GFCI breaker until they didn't.

We had to do that to the sisters beer fridge.

 

[Frosty]

Dang it.
I'm having a harder time to come up with jokes on medical stuff.

You know, cause I don't want to be put on a nationwide "smarta**" notice to hospitals.
And then I show up with a GSW, and they shake their heads and roll be out the door.

Public hospitals can’t just roll you out the door, but doc can poke his finger in your gsw several times… for thoroughness…

 

[Jaybird1980]

I learned this the hard way and wish someone warned me. I thought GFCIs were the end-all/beat-all. A week old, unrefridgerated half cow taught me that wasn't the case.
Save the GFCIs for your bathroom and kitchen countertop appliances.......................and get alarms too, cleaning 5 gallons of rancid blood out of a deep freezer chest suuuuuuuucks!

That's a very expensive way to learn a lesson.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

If my memory serves…even in a location that is required to be GFCI protected, certain loads like refrigerators can be on a non-GFCI receptacle if it is a single receptacle (not the typical duplex receptacle we’re famIliad with) and it’s not readily accessible. (like when the refrigerator is pushed up, in front of it).

 

[Ingomike]

If my memory serves…even in a location that is required to be GFCI protected, certain loads like refrigerators can be on a non-GFCI receptacle if it is a single receptacle (not the typical duplex receptacle we’re famIliad with)

This is true, did not need the extra point added.

 

[JettaKnight]

If my memory serves…even in a location that is required to be GFCI protected, certain loads like refrigerators can be on a non-GFCI receptacle if it is a single receptacle (not the typical duplex receptacle we’re famIliad with) and it’s not readily accessible. (like when the refrigerator is pushed up, in front of it).

At least in the past, GFCI's didn't play nice with compressor loads.


Even me, as safety conscious and a good electrician, I'd have a non-protected circuit for that.