Freezer Tripping GFCI breaker? Here’s What to Do
A freezer plugged into a GFCI-protected outlet may trip from time to time posing a food safety challenge as the food may go bad and make you unwell.
Should you then replace the GFCI outlet? Is it a fault with the freezer? What should you do to get your freezer working reliably and consistently again? Read on for answers to these and related questions.
Quick Answer – What Causes the Freezer to Trip the GFCI Breaker?
If the GFCI breaker supplying power to the freezer trips, it may be that there’s a fault with the appliance and the breaker is doing its job, or possibly a faulty GFCI breaker. For more information check here.
How to Test a GFCI Breaker
To test, use a GFCI tester or simply press the test button on the GFCI breaker. When you press the Test button, the Reset button should pop out disconnecting the outlet from the electricity supply.
Press the Reset button. It should go back in position and restore electricity to the outlet. This usually serves as confirmation that the GFCI breaker is working properly.
What to Do if the GFCI Breaker Keeps Tripping
The GFCI breaker may pass the test above but still trip every so often. Could it be that the GFCI breaker is faulty?
Connect the freezer to another GFCI-protected outlet (wired to a different GFCI breaker) and check if the GFCI breaker trips.
If it doesn’t trip, swap out the first GFCI breaker with another from one of the reputable brands. Monitor to see if the breaker trips again.
What Causes a Freezer to Trip a GFCI Breaker?
A freezer may trip the GFCI breaker if the freezer has an electrical fault and creates a potential shock hazard to the user from leakage of current to the freezer body (GFCI breaker is working properly), the GFCI breaker is faulty or the wiring is damaged.
You may also be interested in this post: What to do if the RV fridge keeps tripping a GFCI breaker
New Freezer Trips GFCI Breaker?
If a new freezer trips the GFCI breaker, it might be that there is a fault with the GFCI breaker, the wiring, or the freezer itself.
Connect the freezer to another GFCI outlet, does the breaker still trip? If not then probably, the first GFCI breaker is faulty. Replace it and check if this stops the tripping.
Related Questions
Should a Freezer be connected to a GFCI Breaker?
GFCI breakers are usually installed wherever there is a risk of a shock hazard.. You’ll usually find GFCI breakers installed in the garage, kitchen, and basement or outdoors for example.
Does a Freezer Need to be on a GFCI?
Depending on the installation location, whether it is a commercial or residential installation, uses a cord and plug vs. hardwiring, the wall outlet supplying electricity to a freezer may require a GFCI outlet to be code compliant.
Be mindful though that connecting a freezer to a GFCI outlet poses a risk of food spoilage should the GFCI outlet trip thereby shutting off the power supply to the freezer.
Contact a licensed electrician to guide the installation.
Why a Freezer Keeps Blowing a Fuse?
If the freezer keeps blowing the fuse then it’s because there is an internal short to the ground that draws excessive current that then blows the fuse.
The short may be internal to the freezer or on the power cord supplying the freezer with electricity. Contact a licensed electrician to support.
Why a Freezer Trips a Circuit Breaker?
There are several possible reasons why a circuit breaker supplying the freezer circuit may be tripping. Check that there’s no short in the wiring leading up to and supplying the freezer with electricity.
The short may be internal to the freezer, the power cord, or in the cabling running from the circuit breaker up to the wall outlet.
Why the Fridge Keeps Tripping the GFCI
If the freezer keeps tripping the GFCI breaker, it could be that there’s an internal fault in the freezer that’s leaking current to the ground and is therefore detected by the breaker and trips to prevent a shock hazard or that the GFCI breaker is faulty.
Check if the freezer trips with another outlet. If it does, it could be that the freezer is faulty. Contact the services of a licensed electrician.
If it doesn’t, you may have to swap out the GFCI outlet with another.
Closing Thoughts
If the freezer keeps ripping the outlet, test the GFCI breaker. Also, check that freezer does not trip another GFCI breaker as it is possible that the GFCI breaker or freezer may be faulty.
Always contact a licensed electrician.
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