If you’ve ever lived in a small apartment, then you know how important it is to make the most of every square inch of your space. That’s why many people choose to use power strips to manage their home’s electrical outlets. You can plug several different appliances into a single power strip and flip the switch when you want them all on. It can help save space and reduce cable clutter around your home. But what about refrigerators? Can you plug a refrigerator into a power strip?
Can You Plug A Refrigerator Into A Power Strip?
No, you cannot plug a refrigerator into a power strip. A power strip only allows you to plug multiple devices into one outlet. A refrigerator requires more power than a power strip can provide. A refrigerator uses around 20 amps, while a power strip only provides 16 amps of power. If you plug a refrigerator into a power strip, it will not function properly and may even be damaged. It is recommended that you use a dedicated circuit for your refrigerator instead of plugging it into a power strip.
Why You Shouldn’t Plug a Fridge Into a Power Strip?
It’s unsafe
The most obvious reason why you shouldn’t plug a fridge into a power strip is that it’s unsafe—and that’s true for any appliance. But for a fridge, it’s especially unsafe because a fridge is designed to create energy, not take it in. That means there’s a risk of you getting hurt. All appliances draw a certain amount of current, which is measured in amps. The bigger or more powerful the appliance, the more current it draws. A fridge draws between 10 and 20 amps. That’s a lot of currents! If you plug your fridge into a power strip, you’re increasing the number of amps going through that power strip. If it’s overloaded, then it can overheat, catch on fire, and cause serious damage. If it’s not overloaded, then it will just trip the circuit breaker — which means you won’t have any power to your fridge, it won’t be getting the energy it needs to operate, and it could cause a fire. If a circuit breaker trips, then you simply reset it and plug everything back in — but it’s still an inconvenience you don’t need.
Your fridge is too heavy for the power strip
Some power strips are rated for heavier appliances. It’s a good idea to check the rating on the power strip you’re considering using or already have. But even if your power strip can handle your fridge, it’s never a good idea to overburden any electrical component — even if it’s rated for it! In general, it’s a bad idea to plug any electrical component into a power strip, especially if it’s rated for much lighter loads. Your fridge is heavy. It probably weighs hundreds of pounds, depending on its size. A power strip is designed to be mounted on a wall. It isn’t designed to be held in one hand and plugged into a wall outlet. That’s just asking for trouble. Your fridge will put a lot of pressure on the power strip. It will constantly be pulling on it as it comes on and goes off. Over time, that could damage the power strip and cause a fire. A power strip isn’t made to hold that kind of weight. It could break and cause a potentially fatal electric shock. It could also snap off the wall and fall, causing damage to your home or the people and things in it.
You risk tripping the circuit breaker
If you plug your fridge into a power strip, there’s a chance that you’ll trip the circuit breaker. That’s especially true if you have a smaller home or apartment, or if you have a larger fridge. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a dedicated circuit to plug in your fridge. It’s true that a fridge is heavy and requires a lot of energy, but it’s not constant energy. Your fridge’s motor only runs for a few minutes, maybe an hour or two a day at most. At other times, it’s either off or barely running. That means it shouldn’t trip a circuit even if you plug it into a circuit with other appliances on it. But, as we’ve said, there’s always a chance. Some circuit breakers are programmed to shut off if they sense the circuit is overloaded. You might be able to reset the breaker, but it’s still a hassle you don’t need.
A power strip isn’t built to handle that much current
As we’ve discussed, your fridge pulls a lot of currents — more than any power strip is designed to handle. It’s possible that you could plug your fridge into a power strip and it won’t trip the circuit breaker. And you may even be able to use that power strip with other appliances without a problem. But you run the risk of damaging or destroying the power strip and compromising the safety of your home. There’s a reason that appliances and power strips are rated for a certain amount of amps. When you use appliances with more amps than they’re rated for, it can damage the appliances. And it could also damage the power strip. That damage may not happen right away, but it could happen after a few months or years of use. That damage could cause a fire or create a dangerous situation where the power strip doesn’t work as it should.
Protection is built into your fridge — so use it!
A refrigerator has all kinds of safety features — from a circuit breaker to a thermal overload switch. The circuit breaker is designed to trip when the fridge isn’t getting enough current. The thermal overload switch detects when the fridge is overloading the circuit and shutting off to protect itself. And the reset button resets both of those. When you plug your fridge into a power strip, you’re taking away that safety. You’re forcing the fridge to draw more current than it needs. That could push the circuit breaker past the point where it can reset itself. That’s true for any appliance that you plug into a power strip. All of them will draw more current than they need, threatening the health and safety of your home.
What About Using Extension Cords?
- Many people use extension cords to plug appliances into a standard outlet. But what about plugging a refrigerator into an extension cord? It’s certainly possible, but there are some things to consider.
- First, you should only plug a refrigerator into an extension cord if you have a heavy-duty one. If you plug a refrigerator into an extension cord, you’ll be drawing a lot of power.
- This means you should use a high-quality extension cord with thick wire and rubber insulation. You should also make sure the extension cord is rated for the amount of power your refrigerator draws.
How To Turn Your Refrigerator Into A Defrosting Center?
- One of the more common uses for power strips is to turn appliances like your refrigerator into defrosting centers.
- You can plug a defrosting tray into a power strip, for example. You can also use a power strip to plug in a hairdryer and an electric fan.
- This will make defrosting your refrigerator a much more convenient process. You can set your refrigerator to defrost once a week by plugging a defrosting tray into a power strip. You can also use a power strip to plug in an electric fan.
- Then, set the fan to blow for two hours once a week. This will help the defrosting process along. When the defrosting is done, you can unplug the fan and plug in another appliance.
How To Turn Your Refrigerator Into An Extension Cord?
- If you plug a refrigerator into an extension cord, you can use it as an impromptu extension cord.
- You can plug an extension cord into a refrigerator, then plug a lamp or a computer into the extension cord.
- This can be a great way to extend the amount of power you have available in your home. This trick is more useful in commercial settings with large appliances, but it can also come in handy at home
- . It all depends on how much power you need. You can plug a refrigerator into an extension cord and use that refrigerator to plug other appliances into.
- This will basically turn your refrigerator into an extension cord. It’s also a great way to make use of a refrigerator that’s not in use.
Conclusion
When it comes to appliances and how they’re plugged into the wall, there’s a lot of misinformation out there. It’s important to know how to plug different appliances into your wall so you can make the most of your electrical outlets and avoid dangerous situations. For the most part, you cannot plug a refrigerator into a power strip. You’ll need to plug an appliance directly into a power strip or extension cord. You can also use a power strip to make defrosting your refrigerator easier. You can even use a power strip to turn your refrigerator into an extension cord and plug in other appliances.
