Note: The information provided below is only intended as a guide. Always consult a licensed electrician.
A fridge like any appliance should be properly grounded for you and the family to use safely to avoid electric shocks when you touch it.
Now, while most fridges already have a power cable connected to a molded 3 prong plug, there are instances when separate earth or ground wire may be provided.
How do you ground the fridge with a separate ground wire?
You may also just want to be sure that your fridge is properly grounded.
This post shares tips on how to ensure that a fridge is properly grounded and the risks you are exposed to if it is not well grounded.
How to Ground a Fridge
If the house’s wiring and earthing are done professionally by a licensed electrician, to ground the fridge or any other appliance, connect its 3 prong plug to a 3 pin grounded wall outlet.
One of the prongs is connected to the fridge’s metal frame and when plugged into the wall receptacle, to ground connection extends to the service panel and to the house’s ground connection.
It is advisable to connect the fridge to a dedicated circuit to avoid overloading the electrical circuit.
If the house wiring and earthing are suspect, contact a licensed electrician to verify and correct in case of any faults
How to Ground a Fridge with a separate Ground Wire
Consult the fridge manufacturer if an additional ground connection is required especially if the fridge is supplied with a good quality molded 3-pin plug.
If required, contact a licensed electrician to connect the ground wire if you do not have the skills.
Do you need to Ground a Fridge?
Yes, a fridge should always be grounded to avoid the risk of electric shock.
How to Check if a fridge has been grounded.
If your fridge is grounded then at a minimum,
- its power cable should have a 3-prong plug
- it should be plugged into a 3 prong grounding type wall receptacle protected with usually a 15 or 20 amp circuit breaker. The outlet if properly wired, should have a ground wire running all the way back to the electrical service panel.
But should you have concerns about the house wiring’s ground connection, contact a licensed electrician immediately.
Signs of a Poor ground Connection | Risks
In the event that there is leakage of voltage onto the fridge frame, or if a live wire gets in contact with the frame then you’ll get an electric shock that can result in injury and also death.
Related Questions
Does a Fridge still work if the Ground wire is not Connected?
A fridge should be able to work even though the ground wire is not connected except that there’ll be an increased risk of electric shocks that can cause injury or death in the event that the body of the fridge gets into contact with a live wire connection.
Make sure the fridge is properly grounded. Consult a qualified electrician if not sure.
Should you use a GFCI outlet with your fridge?
Connecting a fridge to a GFCI outlet can stop it from working properly as it can cause the GFCI to trip repeatedly.
In fact, some manufacturers recommend that their fridge models should be connected to a dedicated non-GFCI outlet.
Check with the local codes for your area or consult a licensed electrician.
Closing Thoughts
The fridge should be properly grounded to reduce the risk of electric shock. Make sure the fridge’s power cable has a 3-pin plug and that it is plugged into a 3-prong grounded wall outlet to reduce the risk the electric shock.
Related Posts
