Last updated on August 14th, 2022 at 01:28 pm
Sometimes, you may want to share appliances in an outlet because of limited sockets. But because of a hunch you have, you may be afraid of sharing your refrigerator’s circuit with other devices. So, is this concern valid? Can a fridge share an outlet with other electronics?
A refrigerator can’t share an outlet with other electronics. Due to the high energy-consuming capacity, it doesn’t need another appliance to drag the current supplied. However, there may be power shortage issues when other electronics are connected to the same outlet.
Do Refrigerators Have To Be On a Dedicated Circuit?
Refrigerators have to be on a dedicated circuit because they consume higher energy when in use. Refrigerators have very high current consuming capabilities; therefore, they do not need to share a circuit with other appliances as they may cause power shortages, especially when the refrigerator is in use. When there is a power shortage, a fridge cannot function properly.
Another critical reason a refrigerator should be on a dedicated circuit is to avoid overloading the circuit. When two appliances with very high power-consuming capabilities are connected on the same circuit, overloading issues would often damage the circuit.
So, a dedicated circuit will save the damage that may sometimes affect the refrigerator. When an electronic is more power-consuming than a refrigerator is connected on the same circuit, the fridge will suffer more.
There will be little or no current supply to the refrigerator. This will cause the refrigerator not to function correctly. In the end, you will not achieve the main reason for connecting the refrigerator.
Overloading a circuit may also cause tripping. Tripping occurs especially when the appliances connected are current consuming as they will drag currents between themselves, causing the circuit to trip continuously.
The current the circuit will be delivering will not be enough to power both appliances; hence tripping will occur; when tripping occurs, there will be no current supply to any of the devices.
The consequent effect of circuit tripping on a refrigerator is overheating. Since there is no consistent power flow to the fridge, it will function adequately; overheating may occur. When the tripping continues, it may damage the refrigerator, and sometimes the breaker contained in the circuit will be damaged.
Is It Safe To Plug Two Refrigerators Into The Same Outlet?
It is not safe to connect two refrigerators into the same outlet. This is basically because of the current both refrigerators will draw and the damages they may cause.
Plugging two refrigerators into the same outlet can cause damage to the circuit, especially when the wires used in the connection are not the right ones to be used.
With two refrigerators connected, an increase in the power demand will cause an increase in the work done by the refrigerators. Without enough current being supplied, this will lead to heating up of the refrigerators and cause subsequent damage to the circuit.
The outlet will also damage when the circuit is damaged, connecting two refrigerators into the same outlet. When considering joining two refrigerators into the same outlet, knowing the circuit connection and the specific amount of current required by each fridge is good.
The circuit may have been made with insufficient wires to supply the two refrigerators because most circuits cannot provide two refrigerators connected to the same outlet.
Another consequence of connecting two refrigerators into the same outlet is that due to a lack in the current supply to the refrigerators, tripping may occur continuously,
This may cause the refrigerators not to function correctly. Sometimes, the fridge may get damaged if the power flow is inconsistent. One of the refrigerators may end up dragging all the current.
Can A Refrigerator Share An Outlet With A TV?
A refrigerator and television cannot share an outlet. This is because refrigerators have very high current drawing capabilities and require high current flow to function properly.
Most televisions require a high current to function properly, too, so connecting tv and a refrigerator to the same outlet may cause a shortage in the power supply.
Whether to connect a television and a refrigerator to the same outlet is dependent on the energy requirements of both appliances. Mainly, televisions often do not require much electric power to function, but due to the current drag by the refrigerator, the television may not have enough energy to function correctly.
When outlets are often shared, they quickly get damaged, mainly when the outlet’s circuit does not supply enough energy needed by the outlet.
Outlets may get damaged or become shock hazards when the current flow from the circuit is not consistent; sometimes, the wires used in the connection may quickly get damaged.
Different TVs have different voltage and current requirements. Typically, the smaller the size of the television, the smaller the energy it consumes.
The televisions made in olden times are more energy consuming than these modern-day televisions because some of these modern days televisions have power-saving capacities. But, even then, a refrigerator should not share an outlet with a TV.
A striking difference between the older model television and these modern televisions is their screens. The screens are their most energy-consuming parts. The bigger the screen, the more energy it consumes.
Because of this, there’s a higher demand for modern TVs with better energy efficiencies. Nonetheless, as aforementioned, you shouldn’t share a TV outlet with a refrigerator.
These days, most televisions are LED televisions. Therefore, they have very high power-saving capacities. A refrigerator, on the other hand, does not save energy. Instead, it uses more energy as the advancement in the refrigerators increases.
With such high energy demand in refrigerators, it is best to allocate specific outlets for their use to prevent excessive current drag.
Can A Refrigerator Share A Wall Socket With Another Appliance?
Refrigerators can share a wall socket with another appliance, but they should not share it with other devices. Refrigerators are often referred to as non-continuous duty loads; they may work well with machines that do not require and drag a lot of currents when working.
Except for such devices, refrigerators usually require connections to dedicated circuits. Sharing wall sockets saves up space when there are not many sockets around the house. Even then, it would be best if you did not share refrigerators primarily because of the current need.
Many other appliances such as stoves and microwaves are high-power consuming appliances and often require much energy flow during their functioning; hence one of the precautions is to avoid sharing a refrigerator socket with other devices. Using a refrigerator and another appliance may cause a shortage in electricity flow, except if the appliance requires minimal current.
When very high electric power-consuming appliances are alongside a refrigerator on the same socket, the circuit breaker may trip as current drag by both devices will cause the circuit to do extra work in delivering current sometimes.
Apart from the tripping that may occur when a refrigerator and a very high current consuming appliance are connected on the same socket, another thing that can happen is the circuit blowing up, which can occur when high voltage demanding devices are used together.
When using devices together, it is essential to know whether the voltage and current flowing through the circuit is compatible with them.
Conclusion
Refrigerators are do not need an interruption in power supply, mainly when they are functioning. However, when refrigerators share outlets, there are many possibilities of electric power shortage, especially when refrigerators share outlets with other high current demanding appliances such as televisions. In addition, due to the current flow inconsistency, refrigerators often require dedicated circuits.