 | | | Can your generator ruin your refrigerator
Asked Jul 5, 2012, 07:38 PM
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8 Answers I have a new generator and use it on my 20 year old refrigerator, when power came back on my frig. Ran for 12 hours, than make a noise and stop working. Do you think by running it from my generator it ruin my frig compressor.
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8 Answers
 | Uber Member | |
Jul 5, 2012, 08:06 PM
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Originally Posted by FISHEYE  I have a new generator and use it on my 20 year old refrigerator, when power came back on my frig. Ran for 12 hours, than make a noise and stop working. Do you think by running it from my generator it ruin my frig compressor. | Possible if your generator isn't running at the right speed or voltage...and thats not as unlikely as you might think....I've got one I am having a bear of a time getting to run at just the right speed. | | |  | Ultra Member | |
Jul 5, 2012, 11:36 PM
| | | Test your generator with a volt meter and make sure you have 120 volts and no less than 100 volts. Most refrigerators will run on 90 volts minimum, but not for very long. This raises the amperage too much. When you said it made a noise and quit working, what did you mean? Does anything work now? Maybe a fan motor went out. If any fan motor was weak it could have burned out from the low voltage which is a cheap fix. | | | | New Member | |
Jul 6, 2012, 09:58 PM
| | | generator probably didn't have enough current for the inrush current of the refrigerator starting. | | |  | Expert | |
Jul 6, 2012, 11:18 PM
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If the generator was large enough and was producing the proper voltage they run them very nicely, I have operated my entire home on them, and I have a 3500 watt one I will run my fridge on. | | | | Uber Member | |
Jul 7, 2012, 06:56 AM
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Originally Posted by johnathanflorea generator probably didn't have enough current for the inrush current of the refrigerator starting. | The circuit breaker WOULD have tripped if that was the case... | | | | Expert | |
Jul 7, 2012, 07:31 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smoothy The circuit breaker WOULD have tripped if that was the case... | Not if the fridge was just plugged into the generator, perhaps ran an extenstion cord. If they hooked it up to the electric pannel, that is an entire another issue | | | | Uber Member | |
Jul 7, 2012, 07:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck Not if the fridge was just plugged into the generator, perhaps ran an extenstion cord. If they hooked it up to the electric pannel, that is an entire another issue | If it doesn't trip..the generator has a defective circuit breaker...trying to draw a load in excess of the rating of the breaker should trip it....and the start-up surge on something with an electric motor on a too small generator should be enough to do that. Both of my generators have circuit breakers on the outlets anyone would plug into for protection of the generator...I have a 5,500 watt Coleman Power-mate and a 3,500 watt Makita. I don't know if some others lack that feature. | | | | Ultra Member | |
Jul 7, 2012, 09:43 AM
| | | The starting amperage for a refrigerator could be 10-12 amps or more and on a long extension cord the voltage would drop below 90 volts for about 1/2 second. I don't think it would hurt it to start a few times like that because the compressor has a sensitive overload on it, but if it is run on a long extension cord that's thin the low voltage would cause it to run at a higher amperage and there are other parts that could be affected, too. If the refrigerator had a dirty coil then the excess heat could burn up the compressor even without the generator. On the newer refrigerators one should clean the coils under it every six months, at least. I wash mine out with spray cleaner and a sprayer on the water hose. It doesn't take much water and the kitchen is tiled. | | |
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