Step son just moved into a rental home, his 25 cf Frigidare Frig is apparently tripping the GFCI outlet in the kitchen. Nothing else in kitchen is plugged in. We plugged the frig into another outlet out of the kitchen (dining room) and it runs fine, does not trip breaker. Kitchen has 2 GFCI outlets, and no mater where you plug in to kitchen , a GFCI is tripped, probably when the compressor kicks on. Any ideas, suggestions, remedies--- thanks, tc

You'd need to get an electrician to come in and just replace 1 GFI outlet with a regular outlet.

Jake

__________________
Appliance Repair School 1987-1988
Star Appliance Tech. 2 yrs. 1988-1990
Wards Appliance Tech. 11 yrs. 1990-2001
Sears Appliance Tech. 4 yrs. 2001-Oct. 2005
Jake's Appliance Repair Nov. 2005-present

If you need more repair advice help on your appliance, click Here

Look-Up & Order Parts

Shop Home Appliances

I guess this is a somewhat common problem when plugging refrigeration appliances into a GFCI. If it is tripping two difference GFCI's then it is probably not a faulty GFCI.

Is it an older fridge? I am guessing it is more likely on older equipment because something I read implies older appliances allowed more leakage current than the lastest specs.

I forget what the National Electric Code (NEC) is on this one but I think if the outlet is within 6' of a kitchen countertop it has to be on GFCI, an outlet behind a fridge serving only the fridge is exempt I think. Of course local codes may be more strict or some localities do not use NEC.

__________________
my applianceblog photo album

Jake is correct.
I see this a lot in new house.

__________________

Thanks for the reply... we will replace the outlet. I have never come across a refrigerator outlet on a GFI. tom

Both my fridges, kitchen and garage, are on GFCI's. I have to watch the garage one because it's on the same circuit as the door opener and it trips every once in a while. I used an ammeter on the line to the fridge and monitored the spike at compressor startup and it varies each time, normally it's got between a 10 and 12 amp spike at startup, but every once in a while it's spiking above 15 and I'd bet that's when it trips the GFCI. That's an older fridge, about 15 years old. The fridge in the kitchen is 8 years old and doesn't have such a spike at startup, it's much gentler. The kitchen fridge is a JennAire and the garage is a GE, not sure that makes much difference.