How Many Amps Does a Refrigerator Use?

RefrigeratorFAQ.com editors pick the products and services we write almost. When yous buy through our links, we may get a commission.

Sometimes in that location is a demand to go into more details apropos your fridge, not only the volume, design and special features. How many amps does a refrigerator use?

Habitation » Blog » How Many Amps Does a Refrigerator Utilise?

The boilerplate fridge uses approximately 725 watts of electricity and fifteen to 20 amps, which can equal 10 percent or more of your dwelling's full free energy usage. To empathise amend you must know some technical terms.

Wattage, measured in watts, measures the rate of energy converted to electricity, usually per hour. Your own fridge should take come equipped with an energy consumption label, stating, at the very least, its wattage. This number can be used to determine your unit'southward amperage.

In one case you know your fridge'south wattage, you can decide its specific amperage. Amperage is equal to the wattage of the unit divided by the voltage, or: Amperage = Watts/Voltage. All American homes have a voltage of 120.

  • Also Read: The Best Outdoor Refrigerators On The Market!

1. What amp breaker do I need for a fridge?

At that place'south a common problem in older homes. If you run as well many appliances in the kitchen at the same time, you'll short the circuit. This means every appliance and light source connected to that circuit will shut off simultaneously.

Excursion breakers interrupt the flow of electricity to specific areas of your dwelling house and are designed to protect yous from overloading your electrical organisation.

Electrical requirements and breaker size for refrigerators are a 115 or 120-volt private, properly grounded branch circuit, protected by a xv or 20 amp circuit billow or time-delay fuse.

Refrigerators should be on a dedicated circuit and pay attention that get-go-up amps and wattage are usually 3 times more running amps or watts.

The measure of the electrical current flowing through a circuit is referred to equally its "amperage." Current is measured by "amps." To prevent a wire from overheating, you lot must use the correct size of wire for the amps required. A standard business firm excursion is typically 20 amps.

Voltage is the pressure that pushes current through an electric wire. The ii standard voltages used in the United States are 110V or 220V.

Single-Pole Circuit Breakers

These are the most common type of breaker found in a home. Single pole breakers protect a unmarried energized wire. They supply 120 volts to a circuit and can handle 15 to 20 amps.

Double-Pole Circuit Breakers

This type of billow protects two energized wires and occupies two slots on a breaker console. They supply upward to 240 volts to a circuit and tin handle betwixt 15 and 200 amps. Large appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and dryers require this blazon of breaker.

2. How many amps does a fridge compressor draw?

Refrigerator amps mean the corporeality of electrical energy used by a refrigerator compressor to cool downward the compartment. For most domestic fridges, the amperage ranges between three and 5 in the case of 120 V. Yous need a dedicated xv – twenty amp excursion as the starting amperage is significantly more. You should basically bank check the compressor's consumption and the full general specifications that your manufacturer gives.

three. Do I need a dedicated circuit for a refrigerator?

Planning kitchen circuitry is a critical step when designing a new home because stoves, refrigerators, microwaves, toasters and coffee makers draw significant amounts of electricity. In older homes built before the introduction of today'due south advanced appliances, a single circuit was ordinarily adequate to service all of a kitchen's electrical needs. But when several modern cooking devices are used at once, it may cause the excursion breaker to trip. Ane style to eliminate that risk is to ready a carve up circuit for the refrigerator.

To have your fridge on a dedicated circuit is recommended for its best operation and to forestall overloading house wiring circuits.

Well-nigh household refrigerators draw between 500 and 750 watts of power during routine operation. With a 110-volt electric current, a 750-watt appliance will crave half dozen.8 amps to operate. The formula for converting watts to amps is Watts divided by Volts = Amps. A fridge will use roughly half of the bachelor amperage of a standard 15-amp excursion, and over ane-tertiary of a 20-amp circuit.

Remember about a condom margin of 20-30%. A circuit should but behave 80 percent of its rated load during normal operation. A 15-amp circuit nether these circumstances would have an bodily load rating of 12 amps. With a 6.8-amp load on the circuit, the recommended working reserve chapters would be merely 5.2 amps. Increasing the capacity to 20 amps will give a larger safety margin, but still, be careful. The leftover capacity of a 15 amp circuit wouldn't probably back up a microwave or toaster on this circuit while the fridge's compressor is operating and information technology would effect in a tripped circuit breaker.

1 additional statement in favor of a split circuit for refrigerators is the risk of an unnoticed ability outage. In an overload situation, the billow volition shut off ability to the excursion. When this happens, the billow must exist manually reset to restore power. This will non exist a significant trouble if the power is but off for a few minutes. However, if the outage happens while the homeowner is away for an extended catamenia of time, the food in the refrigerator and freezer may go warm and spoil.

4. How many amps does a 12-volt fridge describe?

On average – 5 amps. To summate this apply the formula – Watts / Volts = Amps per hour. For case, a 60-watt fridge running on a 12-volt power source uses 60 /12 = 5 amps, only but while the motor runs.

So, while planning your new kitchen or some upgrade pay attention to circuitry and your refrigerator amperage.

Be safe!

Aaron Black

Hey at that place! My name's Aaron Black. I'm 34 and I've been repairing fridges for 15 years. As yous know, some appliances may be as well dangerous to fix on your own equally you, and I'm hither to save your time, money, and, maybe, fifty-fifty your life! Because I'm the man with Experience. If y'all have any questions, you may contact me via email: [electronic mail protected]

This Post Has three Comments

  1. Brian Daly fourteen May 2022 Reply

    There'southward a common problem in older homes. If yous run too many appliances in the kitchen at the same time, you'll " short the circuit". Don't you mean "overload the circuit" or "trip the breaker""? Although a short SHOULD trip the breaker anyway.

  2. Ann Williams 25 Oct 2022 Reply

    How large of a breaker should I put in for a stove . And what size wire should I utilise.

  3. Jeff 30 Oct 2022 Reply

    The math doesn't work in your opening statement "The boilerplate refrigerator uses approximately 725 watts of electricity and 15 to 20 amps…" It is better represented later in the article, yet.