Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Electricians, I have a question

I have a freezer in my garage/shop. It is plugged into an outlet that is not on a GFI breaker (the only one in the shop). It has a one plug outlet.

I am putting in another freezer. There is a GFI outlet where the freezer is going.

Can I use a multi plug where the one plug non GFI outlet is and plug the new freezer in, along with the old freezer?

Should I just plug the new freezer in a GFI outlet and hope the GFI doesn’t trip when my Christmas lights have to endure a hard rain? The outside outlets are on the same breaker.

Should I get an electrician to take off the GFI from another outlet for the new freezer? Or something I can do?

Thanks!

How many amps in the non-GFCI outlet?

Swap out the single outlet for a duplex outlet. Pug them both in to the duplex if you have enough amps.

The NEC requires all receptacles in a garage to be GFI’d now.

It depends on amp / watts draw of the freezers, the size of the breaker (15amp, 20 amp?), and what else may be on that circuit.

If you can verify nothing else is on that circuit, then take the combined amps of both freezers (should be on the appliance "nameplate"). I doubt you are anywhere close to 15 amps between the two.

If you are within 80% of the breaker capacity AND there is nothing else on that circuit...good to go.

Now if starting amp draw (consider about double the running amps) is high, and both freezers come on at same time (highly unlikely), it could cause a breaker trip. I doubt this would be the case with a couple chest freezers.

Great idea. I will have to look. I wonder why it was put in with only 1 outlet? Will 15 amps be enough. 20?

I'm not putting my freezer on a gfi especially in a garage its a good way to loose a lot of food if it pops and you are unaware of it for a few days.

Can I just use a multi outlet plugged into the non GFI freezer outlet?

Loose the GFI, replace it w a standard receptacle. (If you want to sell the house at a later date and it’s inspected, the inspector may gig that a GFI is required, therefore reinstall a new GFI before you list the house)
When anyone calls w receptacles inoperative I ask if there’s a GFI in the circuit, usually the culprit .

Lose a freezer of food due to a ghost tripping a GFI and you’ll understand why they get removed at my place. If I move, I’ll add it back in.

Remove the single outlet. Add a pair. Assuming the breaker/wire is sized big enough for both freezers. Likely they are.

Can I just change the receptacle and keep the GFI breaker? I would want to keep all the other receptacles on GFI

Cheaper and easier.
Go to Walmart and buy one of those surge protectors.
Same basic idea.
It will protect the freezer from house surges and vice versa. If the freezer goes awry, it won't burn down the house.

The biggest problem is checking those things often enough you won't lose a freezer full of goods.

They make surge protectors with long cords. Get one of those and tape it where the light can be seen with a simple glance.


THAAAAT'S what I'm sayin'!

GE’s generic statement.

UPRIGHT & CHEST FREEZER - RUNNING AMPS

All of our upright and chest freezers (excluding international units) function at 115V AC, 60 Hz and have approximately a 5 amp draw. Freezers typically draw extra current during start up (approximately 2x the running amp draw). The freezer should be on a dedicated circuit. This is recommended for best performance and to prevent the overloading of house wiring circuits.



The exact amps that an individual freezer draws is listed on the rating plate and should be used if placing the freezer on a generator or other auxiliary power source.

Do you have a GFCI Breaker in the panel, or are you talking GFCI outlet?

Dedicated circuts for freezers and refrigerators are a wonderful thing....

The panel has the GFI breaker switch. The existing freezer is on a dedicated non GFI breaker, I thought but it is not labeled. It must not be attached to other outlets. Might have to go down the line in each box until I find it.

I may just replace the outlet with a 2 receptacle unit but don’t know the amps until I find the breaker.

You don’t want a freezer or icebox on a GFI

No, but you can put the ice box in the freezer.

You can thank me later.

Are you sure on existing construction, I would bet its only on New.
I wouldnt care anyway I wouldnt have a freezer or a fridge on a GF1

IMO replace the gfi outlet with a standard 2 receptical. 12 wire with 20A breaker and you will be fine unless the freezers have unusually high compressor startup draw, which is super unlikely.

^