O/T: Any Electricians out there? Need Advice!

[muscle96ss]

Between the wife, me and the 3 y/o our fridge is full and our freezer is so full it is a pain in the ass to take anything out without everything else falling out. With a baby girl on the way in 5 months, I made the decision today to buy another side-by-side refrigerator that we are planning on putting in the laundry room.

Here is the question. The laundry room has one electrical outlet in it that the washer is plugged into(the dryer uses a special outlet). We are planning on plugging the new fridge into the same outlet that the washer is plugged into. Will this combination use up too much power and blow a fuse?

 

[warhorse]

possibly, a fridge takes up quite a bit of power while running (compressor) but it will just pop a breaker if you really want to do it that way you could just unplug the fridge while the washer is running. 20 minutes or so wont defrost your food or ruin anything in the fridge if you keep your doors closed... just a thought...

 

[rmtt]

Typical outlets in a house are rated at 15 amps. Not sure if residential is the same, but industrial breakers are sized around 80% of full/constant load.

So 15 Amps would be approx. 12amps constant. So if the washer and fridge together equal this (12) or less..your good. Actually you could go a little higher as warhorse said, your washer won't be on all of the time.

Just determine how much power your fridge and washer will need. This should be on a tag on the appliance.

It will either give you amps or watts. If amps, you have your number. If it's in watts, divide that number by your voltage to determine amps.

Ex: 1200 Watts / 120V = 10 Amps

Add the appliances together and your all set.

 

[mad078]

Typical outlets in a house are rated at 15 amps. Not sure if residential is the same, but industrial breakers are sized around 80% of full/constant load.

So 15 Amps would be approx. 12amps constant. So if the washer and fridge together equal this (12) or less..your good. Actually you could go a little higher as warhorse said, your washer won't be on all of the time.

Just determine how much power your fridge and washer will need. This should be on a tag on the appliance.

It will either give you amps or watts. If amps, you have your number. If it's in watts, divide that number by your voltage to determine amps.

Ex: 1200 Watts / 120V = 10 Amps


Add the appliances together and your all set.

Kitchens are supposed to be 20 amps. I thinks thats nec. Some guys run a separate circuit for the refridge, some run it on the same circuit with the stove. I would run a separate circuit.

 

[marooned]

This info isn't a dead for sure because I can't tell how old your house wiring is and that it's done to code. Electrical code requires that the washing machine outlet be a dedicated 20Amp circuit. You can tell by looking in the electrical panel at the label and finding what breaker number is labeled "washer or wahing machine or laundry room" if there isn't one then it may not be a dedicated circuit. If it is labeled then the breaker will have a number on it that should read 20. That means it's a 20Amp circuit.

Now the other guy that posted is right that breakers are rated for 80% constant load. So a 20Amp circuit is rated for constant load of 16Amps. Pull any more Amps than that and the breaker trips to save the wire from overheating and catching fire.

Most washing machines use around 10Amps while running. Thats a pretty good load while they are running. Most fridges use around 8Amps while running. So putting the two together you may run into trouble. Washing machines don't run constantly and you can pull over 16Amps for short periods so maybe you would be okay. Trouble is if you turn the washer on and leave the house and the breaker trips you won't find it until you get home and may have a mess.

If possible to add another circuit just for the fridge that would be best. If you want to try it then use the washer like normal and keep a close eye on it for the first month or so. If your breakers work right, and it's pretty uncommon for them to malfunction, the only safety concern would be for your food. Good luck.

 

[oldfella]

My advice is to get a dedicated ciccuit put in for the fridge/freezer! if you simply change a breaker to higher rating the wiring may not support the current load and overheat. This would have catstrophic results! If you are running a 20amp breaker you will need heavier gage wiring to support this. My background is communications and electronics. I have extensive working knowledge of current draw as well as wiring requirements for loads. Get a separate circuit installed!! You and your family are at risk otherwise!

 

[rmtt]

This info isn't a dead for sure because I can't tell how old your house wiring is and that it's done to code. Electrical code requires that the washing machine outlet be a dedicated 20Amp circuit. You can tell by looking in the electrical panel at the label and finding what breaker number is labeled "washer or wahing machine or laundry room" if there isn't one then it may not be a dedicated circuit. If it is labeled then the breaker will have a number on it that should read 20. That means it's a 20Amp circuit.

Now the other guy that posted is right that breakers are rated for 80% constant load. So a 20Amp circuit is rated for constant load of 16Amps. Pull any more Amps than that and the breaker trips to save the wire from overheating and catching fire.

Most washing machines use around 10Amps while running. Thats a pretty good load while they are running. Most fridges use around 8Amps while running. So putting the two together you may run into trouble. Washing machines don't run constantly and you can pull over 16Amps for short periods so maybe you would be okay. Trouble is if you turn the washer on and leave the house and the breaker trips you won't find it until you get home and may have a mess.

If possible to add another circuit just for the fridge that would be best. If you want to try it then use the washer like normal and keep a close eye on it for the first month or so. If your breakers work right, and it's pretty uncommon for them to malfunction, the only safety concern would be for your food. Good luck.

Great Post!!

My background is mainly controls and automation, as I like working with anything below 24V.

But alwyas better safe than sorry. Never increase your breaker size unless the wire feeding the circuit is sized for it. That's a great way to start a fire.

 

[debo22]

not good practice. you will run into trouble when both are running at same time. i recommend that the ref. go on a dedicated circuit.

 

[mad078]

My advice is to get a dedicated ciccuit put in for the fridge/freezer! if you simply change a breaker to higher rating the wiring may not support the current load and overheat. This would have catstrophic results! If you are running a 20amp breaker you will need heavier gage wiring to support this. My background is communications and electronics. I have extensive working knowledge of current draw as well as wiring requirements for loads. Get a separate circuit installed!! You and your family are at risk otherwise!

Yea you'll want to run 12 gauge instead of 14.

 

[Paendragon]

I would definitely put it on a dedicated circuit.

 

[LEX]

If it were me....and I am capable of doing most stuff like that at home and work but I would hire a pro electrician to come in and do it and ensure its all up to code. That way if something happens and your house burns down...and it was the circut or wiring you have something to show your insurance company that it was done correctly and by code.

 

[muscle96ss]

My advice is to get a dedicated ciccuit put in for the fridge/freezer! if you simply change a breaker to higher rating the wiring may not support the current load and overheat. This would have catstrophic results! If you are running a 20amp breaker you will need heavier gage wiring to support this. My background is communications and electronics. I have extensive working knowledge of current draw as well as wiring requirements for loads. Get a separate circuit installed!! You and your family are at risk otherwise!

I did some checking and the outlet that the washer is plugged into is connected to a 20amp breaker that only controls that outlet. The washer specs states that it draws 10amps. The new fridge specs state that it draws 6.5 amps. So total when both are running at max I should be at 16.5amps. The house is only 3 y/o and the builder supposedly uses quality materials(not sure if that makes any difference here).

 

[oldfella]

I did some checking and the outlet that the washer is plugged into is connected to a 20amp breaker that only controls that outlet. The washer specs states that it draws 10amps. The new fridge specs state that it draws 6.5 amps. So total when both are running at max I should be at 16.5amps. The house is only 3 y/o and the builder supposedly uses quality materials(not sure if that makes any difference here).

If this is the case you should be good to go. Just remember when the fridge (compressor) kicks on from idle that is when there will be the greatest draw ie up to 12amps to start and then it will back down and stabilize. But you would only have the problem if both applianaces were running together.

 

[rmtt]

I did some checking and the outlet that the washer is plugged into is connected to a 20amp breaker that only controls that outlet. The washer specs states that it draws 10amps. The new fridge specs state that it draws 6.5 amps. So total when both are running at max I should be at 16.5amps. The house is only 3 y/o and the builder supposedly uses quality materials(not sure if that makes any difference here).

Well if it's a 20A breaker, he would have had to use at least a 12Ga wire to even pass inspection. 16.5 amps is just above the 80% constant load factor. Also remember that you will have peaks in current draw such as when the compressor of the fridge first starts up, and the same with the washer too.

 

[tap]

If you want to be sure, I would borrow an amp meter(one that clamps around) and plug in both and clamp amp meter around both plug wires turn washer and fridge on about the same time and see what your peak amp draw is.If it is above 16amps i would buy a 20amp breaker and 12g wire and run a seperate curcuit.