No, provided the receptacle is in a location that will accommodate a mini-fridge but not a full sized refrigerator. Electrical Requirements and Breaker Size for refrigerators, compact refrigerators, wine chillers, beverage centers, double-drawer refrigerators, and standalone icemakers: A 115 or 120-volt individual, properly-grounded branch circuit with a 3-prong grounding type receptacle, protected by a 15 or 20 amp circuit breaker or time-delay fuse. If the space will accommodate a full size refrigerator then a separate circuit is required. Examples include box fans, slow cookers, food processors and sewing machines. To the best of my knowledge, according to the US National Electric Code (NEC) 2020 version, if the circuit feeding the refrigerator outlet is branched to any other outlet, it must be a 20 Amp circuit. I would check the amperage of the wine cooler, anything below 8amps should be ok. Just a quick overview of the mini fridge… First, most mini fridge’s come with a “large” (it is a mini fridge) refrigeration area and a small freezer section. Does a fridge need to be installed on a home run? Does a refrigerator need its own circuit? Others Some compact appliances don't need dedicated circuits. I'd insist that each of these circuits have it's own neutral. Thanks. Yes the refrigerator is required to be on its own 15 amp circuit when building a new home or performing a kitchen remodel. If this is the case, you just verified your refrigerator is on a dedicated circuit, as it should be. Dedicated circuits help protect your appliances, your home and your family. Third, love and care for your mini fridg… A mini-fridge loses a lot less cold air than your kitchen fridge every time you open it, because it is so small. No, refrigerator does not need a separate 20 amp circuit. I understand what you are saying and if you have an existing 20 amp circuit and a low energy consuming refrigerator I can see where you would be very tempted to share this circuit, but it really should not be done. Here’s how: Having multiple major appliances on a single … here you can plug it into any outlet. That rule has an exception that allows a household fridge to be on its own dedicated 15 amp circuit. You need a circuit with probably 20 amps. In a house as new as yours there is probably plenty of electrical capacity available in … A 15A duplex receptacle is rated for 20A feed-thru. Not sure if you need a circuit? Jul 23, 2005 9,924 0 0. I've had 2 (out of 700) customers where a loose connection casued a circuit board in a high end refrigerator to burn when the microwave oven was tunred on. although most homes have a place for the fridge with a ready fridge breaker so it shouldn't be a problem. all appliances use 220v. Why major appliances need a dedicated circuit. Wednesday, June 19, 2019. I do, however, recommend that a refrigerator or a freezer be given a dedicated circuit wherever they are located. Lighting Circuit. A mini fridge is defined as any refrigerator of less than 5.5 Cu ft capacity. A fridge can be on one of the minimum two required "small appliance branch circuits". A fridge can be on one of the minimum two required "small appliance branch circuits". Lighting is not allowed on any small appliance circuit. When it comes to deciding if you need to install a dedicated circuit, here’s a good rule of thumb: if you’re running something with its own motor, it’s safer to have it on its own circuit. Anyone know if that is true? E. Eeezee Diamond Member. Of course, a kitchen wouldn't be complete without a lighting circuit to brighten the … Welcome to the wonderful world of the dorm room mini fridge. This will be the best and the worst part of your college dorm room. Re-doing my kitchen. but it is recommended for the fridge to be on its own circuit breaker. Does a refrigerator need its own circuit? An example of such a space would be below a bar counter surface. Recommended that on a circuit no more than 80% of a circuit should be utilized. Second, never, under any circumstance, unplug your mini fridge unless you absolutely have too – we will get to that later. Small appliance circuit code does not apply here. Unless the instructions for the refrigerator requires a dedicated circuit, the NEC doesn’t require a dedicated circuit for refrigeration equipment in a kitchen. Basically, you can choose to connect either the power-hungry appliance or the low-power rated appliance to its own dedicated circuit and breaker. In order to be sure you would need a … Mini-fridge on shared receptacle circuit I'm renting a room, which has 5 receptacles, which I believe 4 out of 5 are on the same circuit. Our local technicians in Perth explain why this is so important in homes. Does a mini fridge need a dedicated circuit? Tankless on-demand units must heat water quite rapidly, so they necessitate additional upgrades in many homes. It is certainly a good idea and best practice, but not a requirement. Part of this will entail buying a new fridge and putting it in a new location. Refrigerator Electrical Requirements and Breaker Size. It’s allowed to be, but not required. This oven is 1800 watts. That is an "it is OK" kind of rule, not a "it must be done this way" kind of rule. A refrigerator located in a basement, garage, or any other area of the house does not have to be installed on a dedicated circuit, a small appliance circuit or any other circuit. In the US, under the NEC, a residential kitchen fridge is not required to be on a dedicated circuit. The basic rule on whether you should have a dedicated circuit for an appliance is if it is fixed and has its own motor or if it’s critical to your comfort or safety, it probably needs its own circuit. A mini-fridge that can store 90 cans is only 2.2 cubic feet in volume. A refrigerator, like any motor load, can draw up to six times its running current on start-up, and that can cause nuisance tripping of a circuit breaker depending on what else is on the circuit. Instead, there is a rule that says that every receptacle that serves a kitchen countertop has to be on a 20 amp "small appliance branch circuit." House is 11 years old. The term mini fridge also includes the terms under counter fridge, bar fridge, wine cooler or chiller, beer or keg cooler, or other similar terms. For the past few months, whenever the min-fridge compressor kicks on, my monitor shuts down for a few seconds, and then kicks back on. Contact George Brazil for help. So.... 20 amp circuit x 0.8 = 16 amps. In this case, an outlet could be a single or duplex outlet and still considered one outlet. The rule of thumb is this: If the appliance is fixed and has its own motor or if its critical to your comfort or safety, it probably needs its own dedicated circuit. All outlets in a kitchen need to be 20 amp circuits, at least two circuits for small appliances. In the US, under the NEC, a residential kitchen fridge is not required to be on a dedicated circuit. Rule 26-720. Now other things can be used on the circuit but not necessarily all at the same time. Someone mentioned that they "thought" that I would need a seperate breaker for the fridge. The frig can be on one of these, or an exception allows a to frig be on a separate 15 amp circuit. I don't believe it has its own breaker right now. Although the National Electrical Code (NEC) does not require that a receptacle outlet serving a refrigerator must be GFCI-protected, it specifies certain areas where any receptacle—including for a refrigerator—must be GFCI: 1) Within 6 feet of the edge of any sink - For example, if the refrigerator receptacle is within 6 feet of the kitchen sink, even if it is a dedicated … Water heaters usually need their own circuits as well. No it does not have to be a dedicated circuit and I doubt the range hood is the only device on that circuit besides the gas stove. If so, should it be GFI? A freezer is considered a permanent appliance, so it should be on its own "dedicated" electrical circuit. To prevent this, the NEC requires the refrigerator to be plugged into its own 120-volt, 20-amp circuit. But why do I need dedicated circuits for my appliances? At 1800 watts, the current required for a 120 V circuit would be 15 amps. 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