The electricity distribution is a very important part of maintaining the proper electric flow inside the house. Some appliances require high electricity or some require low. In this article, we will discuss whether you can plug the refrigerator into a regular outlet.
Can you plug a refrigerator into a regular outlet?
You don’t need to install any special outlet to connect the refrigerator to the electrical connection. You can plug a refrigerator into a 110–120-volt outlet if the socket is three-way. However, it is important to install a dedicated circuit for the refrigerator to ensure proper electric flow.
A refrigerator is an essential appliance for storing food at home. It is found in almost everyone’s home. However, proper current flow is required to ensure the uninterrupted flow of electricity through this thing.
Frequent power outages can put pressure on the refrigerator and cause it to lose its effectiveness. Many people think that a special type of electric outlet is needed to supply power to the refrigerator which will supply more power than usual.
You can add the connection of the refrigerator to the general outlet of the house if you want.
Outlets of 110 to 120 volts are usually used to run the necessary appliances in the house, you can give the connection of the refrigerator in these if you want. The following discusses the voltages of outlets required for refrigerators in different environments:
In the garage:
It is not advised to plug a refrigerator inside a garage, because the garage consists of GCFI electrical outlets which are not suitable to power its refrigerator. The drawbacks of GCFI outlets are they cannot hold the load.
As a result, the refrigerator will trip the outlet. It is also impossible to convert GCFI outlets to non-GCFI. That is why it is recommended to avoid plugging the refrigerator into the garage.
In the kitchen:
You can simply plug in the refrigerator in any outlet in the kitchen. Most of the electrical outlets inside our houses are 110 to 120 volts which are fine for the plugin in the refrigerator.
It is recommended to install a circuit for the refrigerator to ensure proper flow.
Do refrigerators need to be on a dedicated outlet?
Since the refrigerator is one of the most significantly used appliances in our home that is used to keep stored foods in fresh condition, it is the best practice for the homeowners to maintain the electric flow of the refrigerator to ensure smooth operation.
Although you can plug in a refrigerator in any outlet in your home. Most of the electrical outlets are 110 to 120 volts, so it won’t put any pressure on the refrigerator.
But you can also choose a dedicated outlet for the refrigerator because a refrigerator runs on different amps. So, it may spike at peak usage. To avoid such incidents, simply install a dedicated outlet for the refrigerator.
Most refrigerators run between 3 amps to 6 amps but can go to 15 amps when it is in its peak usage.
During that time, your refrigerator may have some issues operating. That is why it is better to install a dedicated outlet to avoid any worst-case scenarios.
What kind of electrical outlet is needed for a refrigerator?
Since the refrigerator runs in different amps, a dedicated outlet that will help to flow the proper electricity that a refrigerator needs is important. Although you can plug in the refrigerator in any regular electrical outlet at your home.
Because most of the regular electrical outlets are 110 and 120 volts. This amount of volt is completely fine to run a refrigerator. It is recommended to install a circuit for the refrigerator to avoid any spike during peak usage.
The refrigerator runs in different amps. It generally runs on three to six amps. But during the peak usage, the refrigerator can reach up to 15 amps which can be harmful to the refrigerator.
That is why to avoid any drawbacks and damages, you should install a 3-socket electric outlet and keep it away from unnecessary voltage ups and downs which may cause serious damage to the refrigerator.
Where can the refrigerator be plugged into the regular outlet?
The refrigerators are an essential and helpful appliance in the house that helps to store food and keep them fresh after a long time. To do this operation the refrigerator needs uninterrupted electrical flow.
That is why many people think that a refrigerator might require a special outlet to become fully operational. But it is completely wrong. The refrigerators can be plugged into standard 110-to-120-volt outlets.
Running your refrigerator in such types of outlets will not cause any damage to the refrigerator.
You can install a circuit that will prevent the refrigerator from getting harmed by the excessive power supply. Below is a brief description of where can be the refrigerator be plugged:
The kitchen:
You can plug in the refrigerator in your kitchen outlets because they are designed to power any kitchen appliances that include a refrigerator. Plugging the refrigerators in kitchen outlets will help them to maintain a proper electric flow.
The Dining room:
People consider keeping the refrigerator in the dining room and connecting it to the dining room power outlets.
It is completely fine because the dining room power outlets also use the standard power outlet volts, which will not cause any damage to the refrigerator.
Any other standard outlet:
Any power outlets in your home are considered regular and standard power outlets.
It means they are non GCFI and they provide the power of 110 to 120 volts which is completely fine to run the refrigerator. But make sure to install a circuit to avoid any spike during the peak usage of the refrigerator.
Should a refrigerator be plugged into a GFCI outlet?
No. plugging the refrigerator into a GCFI outlet is not recommended. In most cases, the GCFI outlets are found in the garage of your house. There are some drawbacks of GCFI outlets and they may cause damage to the refrigerator.
Generally, the GCFI outlets are used in the areas where the water or moisture can accumulate.
It is recommended to avoid GCFI outlets because they cannot take the load of the refrigerator and may increase the risk of electrocution and electrical fire. The GCFI or ground fault circuit interrupter is dedicated to use in a refrigerator.
Since the GCFI outlet cannot hold the load of the refrigerator and cannot be converted into non-GCFI, people should not plug the refrigerator into a GCFI outlet.
The GCFI outlet can protect you against electrical shock, it is recommended to install a circuit that is dedicated to the refrigerator to avoid any type of is caused by the electrical surge.
Does a refrigerator need a 20 amp outlet?
A refrigerator generally runs on different amps. In some cases, the refrigerator will run on three to six amps. But during the peak usage, the refrigerator may require higher amps and this demand for the refrigerator can go up to 15 amps.
As a result, the refrigerator may face any spike in the electric flow. Although most of the household outlets are standard 110 to 120 volts, you may still need to install a 20-amp circuit.
Modern refrigerators these days require a higher amp circuit to ensure proper electric flow.
The 20-amp outlets are specially used for kitchen appliances such as microwave blenders and toasters. This type of appliance is considered a large electricity-consuming appliance.
The best part of having a 20-amp outlet is this outlet provides a constant energy flow to the appliance connected to it which indicates that these outlets cannot share the circuit with other devices in the house.
So it is better to provide a refrigerator with a 20 amp outlet to reduce all sorts of risks.
Can you plug 2 mini-fridges into a regular outlet?
Since the regular refrigerators run on the standard power outlets that are available in the house, it won’t be a big deal for the power outlets to power up any mini-fridge.
But if you’re considering plugging in two mini-fridges in a single regular outlet, you need to check the amperage draw of everything plugged into the power strip before that.
You need to check the power strip because if you have a 2-amp mini fridge that is plugged into a 10-amp power strip, it won’t cause any damage to the fridge.
But if you are willing to plug in two mini-fridges that run at 12 amps power, it will cause serious trouble for the power outlet to provide electricity to the fridges, and they may face serious electric issues.
That is why it is always recommended to check the amperage draw before plugging in two mini-fridges.
Final Thoughts
Many people think that they should install a specially dedicated power outlet to power the fridge. But a refrigerator can be easily powered by plugging into any regular power outlet that is available in the house. These power outlets use 110 to 120 volts, which is fine for the refrigerator to run.