Besides the problem with your refrigerator as noted in the Randall and
Doug's replies, you should NOT plug a refrigerator into a GFCI outlet.
NEC specifically states not to do this, as GFCI's aren't meant for heavy
motor loads. Further, on a practical basis, the types of problems GFCI's
are meant to prevent aren't so likely with a refrigerator, but random trips
of GFCI's are possible. If the GFCI trips and you don't notice it or are
away, you lose a refrigerator full of food.
Karl
> OK, here's a question from an electrical idiot. I've got an odd problem
> going on with my interior house electrical, and I'm hoping you'll have
some
> ideas.
>
> Yesterday morning, I found my refrigerator off and discovered that the
GFIC
> outlet just "upstream" from it had tripped. It would trip again as soon as
> I reset it. The refrigerator itself was on a regular outlet. And the
outlet
> "downstream" from it wasn't working either.
>
> Heavy extension cord to the next GFIC outlet "upstream" got the
> refrigerator running again. That one tripped this evening and, like the
> other one, trips again as soon as I reset it.
>
> So, I put the extension cord out to the living room, to another circuit
> altogether. Then, just before I was going to go to bed, I decided it would
> be safest to place the little GFIC I use in my garage outlets (a
"portable"
> one attached to a short, heavy extension cord) between the refrigerator's
> extension cord and the regular outlet in the living room. Oops. It tripped
> right away. And trips again as soon as I reset it.
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