Freezers and refrigerators have become critical components of most households. People use them to preserve food items that would normally go bad without the cooling functions of these appliances. It is also quite common for homeowners to assign their freezers to separate outlets.
Can You Put Two Freezers On The Same Outlet?
This practise is discouraged because freezers draw a lot of power during start-up. At their peak, they can easily trip the breaker. Once the breaker is tripped, you may lose all the food in your freezer if you’re not around to switch the power back on.
The goal in such a situation is to ensure that the total load of the freezers doesn’t exceed the capacity of the circuit.
In other words, a pair of 3-Amp freezers can technically survive on a 15-Amp circuit because their total load is just 6 amps. However, you cannot ignore the fact that freezers pull a lot more current when they cycle on.
If you want to use a single outlet to operate two freezers, install a split-wire receptacle. The outlet is connected to two different circuits. Therefore, the two freezers attached to the receptacle are technically using dedicated circuits.
Does A Freezer Need A Dedicated Circuit?
Freezer needs a dedicated circuit because If a freezer is attached to a dedicated circuit, the chances that it will trip the breaker when it cycles on are very low. A dedicated circuit leaves room for error.
Before you can determine whether or not two freezers can survive on the same outlet, you have to first understand what professional electricians have to say about freezers and dedicated circuits:
1). The Law
As far as SFGATE is concerned, the NEC doesn’t compel homeowners to place appliances like refrigerators and freezers on a dedicated branch circuit.
But don’t assume that you are in the clear. Local regulations tend to supersede the NEC. You have to check with your local authorities to figure out whether or not the building code in your area has anything to say about freezers and dedicated circuits. But in most situations, the law does not force consumers to place freezers on dedicated circuits.
2). Practical Considerations
All in all, you don’t have to place a freezer on a dedicated circuit. The appliance can operate on the same circuit as other devices. But the total amperage cannot exceed the capacity of the circuit. If it does, the breaker will trip, depriving your freezer of power.
This is the primary reason why electricians encourage homeowners to use dedicated circuits. It isn’t enough to buy a fridge with a low rating in terms of the amount of power it uses. A refrigerator that uses just 3 amps during normal operations can pull three times as many amps when it starts.
Hunker expects the peak usage of a refrigerator to reach 15 amps in some cases. Freezers are in the same boat. In other words, even if your freezer has a relatively tame rating, the kind that allows you to place it on a circuit with other devices, the freezer can still cause the breaker to trip when it cycles on.
If the breaker trips in a home whose owners are away on vacation, they could lose all their food. Hunker agrees that the NEC doesn’t require consumers to place these appliances on a dedicated circuit. But it is the safer and more practical option.
Can A Freezer Share An Outlet?
You are discouraged from pairing a heavy-duty appliance like a freezer with other heavy-duty appliances, especially if they also use motors. Look for simpler items that are unlikely to overload the circuit when you add their rating to the freezer’s load.
I do not want appliances of this kind to share wall sockets because of the large quantities of current they draw when starting. But if the draw of the other item on the outlet is small, you can add the freezer without necessarily tripping the breaker.
Can You Plug A Freezer and Refrigerator Into The Same Outlet?
You can plug a freezer and a refrigerator into the same outlet if their total draw doesn’t exceed the capacity of the circuit. But again, if they start at the same time, their total draw will spike significantly, tripping the breaker in the process.
It is better to place the appliances on separate dedicated circuits that only have one outlet.
How Many Freezers On One Circuit?
You should only assign one freezer to each circuit. You can operate a freezer on a circuit that also powers smaller less powerful appliances. But the freezer shouldn’t share a circuit with other heavy-duty appliances, especially if those appliances have motors and compressors such as other freezers and refrigerators.
You can probably get by with two freezers on one circuit. But that is also a risk because both freezers may cycle on at the same time, tripping the breaker as a result.
Do Freezers Need A Special Outlet?
You don’t need to install special outlets for fridges and freezers. In most cases, you can trust the freezer’s plug to guide you. If the plug can enter an outlet without any modifications on your part, the outlet is suitable for the freezer. If the freezer requires a special outlet, the instruction manual will tell you as much.
Otherwise, you shouldn’t overthink this issue. These appliances can make do with ordinary 110V outlets found in most North American homes. The appliances are also compatible with the 220V outlets found in other countries.
What Kind of Plug Does A Deep Freezer Need?
Like refrigerators, freezers are normally equipped with three-prong plugs. The third prong adds the grounding. This makes the plug safer.
Some people remove the third prong because they want the plug to fit a 2-prong outlet. But such behaviour is dangerous because it removes the grounding component.
How Many Amps Does A Freezer Use?
The amps reveal the amount of power the freezer consumes. The bigger the freezer, the more electricity it requires. As you now know, the start-up figures are much higher. Just consider the 20 cubic foot freezer. While it only uses 4-5 amps when it is running, it can draw as much as 15 amps during start-up.
Home Appliance has a guide that matches the amps to the size. For instance, it expects 5 cubic foot freezers to use less than an amp. 10 cubic foot freezers, on the other hand, may require as many as 2 amps.
Can A Freezer Run On A 15-Amp Circuit?
Appliances of this sort require 15-20 Amp circuits. A 15-amp circuit is sufficient. 20 amps are better, especially if you want the freezer to share the circuit with other devices.
I want consumers to place fridges and freezers on dedicated 15 to 20 Amp circuits. But 15-Amp circuits are enough.
Freezer Outlet Requirements
These devices have 3 prongs. Therefore, you must pair them with 3-prong outlets that can take advantage of their grounding attributes.
- Do not remove the third prong to fit an outlet with two slots. I also discourage consumers from using an adapter to fit a 3-prong freezer plug into a 2-prong outlet. 2 prong outlets are not grounded.
- Don’t pair heavy-duty appliances like freezers with ungrounded outlets. Unless the regulations in your area state otherwise, avoid GFCI outlets as well. From what M Live has seen, people associate them with phantom tripping.
Freezer Outlet Keeps Tripping – Why?
- If the outlet keeps tripping, you are probably overloading it. This can happen in homes where the freezer shares its outlet with other appliances whose total load has exceeded the circuit’s capacity.
- If overloading isn’t the cause, a fault has probably occurred within the outlet. Contact between the hot and natural wires can lead to a short circuit.
If you smell burnt wires, you should call an electrician. A thorough investigation by a professional may reveal that some parts of your home’s wiring system are worn out.
Conclusion
Can you plug two freezers into the same outlet? You can also use the same outlet to power a freezer and a refrigerator, as well as a freezer and other devices in your home.
It isn’t a good idea. If both freezers cycle on simultaneously, you will blow the breaker because you have two freezers on one circuit. A dedicated circuit for each freezer is the safer option. A dedicated circuit has just one outlet. Even when it cycles on, a single conventional freezer is unlikely to overwhelm a dedicated circuit.
This is why electricians encourage consumers to place each freezer on a dedicated circuit. It doesn’t matter whether it is 15 or 20 amps. Freezers can use either option. They also use regular outlets. But because they have 3 prongs, you should only plug them into 3-prong outlets.