Adding An Outlet Outside?

Susan Sanders-Kinzel
Diamond Feedback Medal for All Time! 1,023 Feedbacks

September 10, 20050 found this helpful

Hi Marc
It would be a MAJOR code infraction and highly illegal to make a fridge share a circuit with anything else, except a clock. A code infraction like that will invalidate your insurance.

If your bedroom outlet is split and served by two breakers, then you can use one circuit to power your clock radio and the fridge. If the clock radio blinks, you know that the fridge has been off and anything except booze and ice in it should be discarded or at least checked. Like most items in the code, that one was put in after people had lost their lives.

Then you can use the other phase for appliances, as long as you secure the fridge plug to prevent accidental unplugging or switching. Unless the fridge is plugged into an outlet behind the fridge, it's plug has to be secured. A small metal strip going over the plug and screwed down on both sides works fine. Instead of a metal strip you can use coat hanger wire with nice tidy loops at the ends.

The same applies if you bring the power to the island from the outdoor outlet.
Those are normally on split circuits, or should be, for obvious reasons.

If the location of the island is permanent, then it makes sense to borrow or rent a diamond saw and carve a slit for the cable and grout it in. If there is dirt or gravel where the cable goes, you need to use armored cable, the stuff that looks like shower hose with a plastic sleeve.

If the bedroom receptacle has a split circuit and half of it can be dedicated to the fridge, or if the fridge is just for half day usage, and you decide to drill out from the bedroom, open the receptacle box (after turning the breaker off the proper way), and try to take the receptacle box out.
You may not be able to. In that case, punch out one of the knock-outs in it's
bottom. Stick a wooden spoon handle through one and root around in the wall to make sure there are no wires or pipes in the way, before drilling out.

Stick the wires through so that you have six inches sticking out of the wall on both sides. Thread a surface mount outdoor receptacle box onto the wire on the outside and screw it on securely. Attach the wires on the inside and outside to the receptacles, but don't put them in yet.

Get a can of spray insulating foam and stick it's little hose into the knockouts and put enough foam in so that it shows at the other receptacle. That stops drafts and ants and other insects. Wait for an hour, just in case the foam creeps into the receptacle boxes and needs to be trimmed. Once the foam is set, push the receptacles in and put the covers on.

Last, but not least, replace the breaker with a GFI breaker and label it "Outdoor Fridge".

Have FUN!
DearWebby
webby.com/humor