Do you need a Dedicated Circuit for a Freezer or Fridge?

Are you preparing to shelter in place? Most people are using an extra freezer to keep their food stocked in their garages. Holding 35 lbs of food, a 6 cubic-foot freezer would be sufficient for a basic family of four. If you’re planning on storing your extra food in a freezer, you’ll want to read this article and make sure your garage wiring is set up for this kind of installation.

We’re urging our community to be aware of your panel’s capabilities to support your appliances. Unless your home is fairly new, it's possible that your panel or garage outlet isn't properly wired to support a new freezer or refrigerator.

Do Refrigerators Need Dedicated Circuits?

Having the refrigerator on its own dedicated circuit is the recommended best practice for homeowners. Most refrigerators run between 3 to 6 amps, with that said, a refrigerator can spike at peak usage up to 15 amps. It’s best to take into consideration worst case scenarios. You should have refrigerators and freezers installed on a 15-20 amp dedicated 120 volt circuit. This will avoid an electrical overload due to your current wiring not being capable of handling the additional power. Keep in mind that even if you don’t place your freezer or refrigerator in your garage, it is still required that freezers be on a dedicated 120 volt circuit.

Be Safe and Follow the Rules!

In addition to all these guidelines, please follow the power requirements dictated by the manufacturer for the appliance. Feel free to call a professional electrician if you have any questions or if you need to make sure your panel has the capabilities to support a freezer or fridge. An electrician can also help you install a GFCI outlet in your garage to support these appliances. By doing this, you will ensure the safety of your electrical system without worry that your GFCI will trip, resulting in all your food going bad. If your circuit breaker keeps tripping, because you’ve recently added a refrigerator or freezer, please take the time and contact a qualified electrician to come have a look at your breaker panel and determine a better electrical solution.

GFCI Outlets and Backup Generators can come in Handy

Another useful device is a GFCI with a trip alarm, we would be happy to install that for you. They are fairly inexpensive and will make monitoring your outlets and devices much easier. Taking these precautions will ensure that your home stays safe from hazardous electrical malfunctions in your home, and will keep the food you spent valuable money on from perishing.

You may also want to consider hooking your freezer up to a backup generator due to the amount of hurricanes and lightning we experience here in Florida, this will prevent your freezer or refrigerator from losing power, and your food from going bad.

We Would love to Help

Please call your friendly expert at Tru-Line Electric for same day service on any installations or repairs you may need! We'd be more than happy to check your garage's electrical system. We’re here for you when you need us.

Call Tru-Line Electric today at (727) 308-6680 or contact us online to learn more about dedicated circuit installation in New Port Richey & Palm Harbor!