Power strip load

returntosender said:

.your smp figures seem really low.

Click to expand...

Blame Google.

returntosender said:

.your smp figures seem really low.

Click to expand...

The refrigerator "running load" is pretty much irrelevant concerning breaker tripping. It's the "starting load" that heats things up, which can be 5-10 times the running load momentarily. But if there's a microwave, hair dryer, space heater or other large load on the same circuit with the fridge, even the running load can be a problem.

In practical applications, though, what often happens is the fridge, and whatever other loads, see a reduced 'long line' voltage when current is being drawn —particularly when the fridge is trying to start and draws large amounts of current, the long wiring to the breaker panel can drop the voltage available at the fridge significantly. This can be increased by iffy connections along the way, like backstabbed receptacles and overheated plugs/receptacles. When the voltage drops too low, the fridge can't start and keeps drawing current that keeps the voltage low, until the motor gets hot enough to shut down until it cools and resets (automatically), then tries again. As this is going on, the breaker is drawing more than it can handle for very long and after a while shuts off and has to be manually reset.

(The breaker becomes 'shot' as a result of constant overheating, and sometimes from the contacts inside the breaker getting burned out. Also, cheaper (generic —yes, Square D and Cutler Hammer also make their Homeline (HOM) and BR breakers that fit GE and Murray etc.) panels have a habit of not making a good connection in the back tangs of the breakers to the panel. This shows up when the building contractor didn't cover the panel when making dust/ painting, in the room. Square D's QO line and Cutler Hammer's CH line have a better contact material which is shaped to grind through the trash on the panel connection point, and to handle higher temperature. (Note: QO and CH breakers will not fit each other's panels, nor fit the generic panels such as GE, Murray etc.))