Patio Refrigerator and Freezer Question?

[fishheadbob]

Get a new tenant.

 

[jaxs]

Get a new tenant.

Not so fast there Mr bob,tenants that say on for 12 years are hard to come by. If it came to a choice between kicking him out or caving to his request,I'd furnish a freezer and ask him to keep it indoors.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I also don't believe this to be your problem.

However, as capable as I'm sure you may be, do you think having someone who's labeled as a professional electrician on paper comes out, checks the outlet, says there are no issues with the wiring or the house would satisfy them?

I don't think it's an expense you should HAVE to incur, but I wonder if it would be the most reasonable and least confrontational way to put it to bed for you. Keep the tenants and not have to buy a freezer or a fridge.

 

[jaxs]

How did the tenant conclude the house is killing his appliances? Could it have come from those 2 good-for nothings I Herd and Tha Said?

 

[EddieWalker]

I agree that the problem is probably the undersized extension cord, but I would also want to know if mice have moved in and caused problems? Leaving it outside just screams to me as a place that mice would want to live.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Depends on the extension cord. I have a refrigerator in the garage on a heavy extension cord that I made from romex wire with 12 gauge plug ends.

Yes, a proper size extension cord can be used , but most people don’t have a 12 ga cord.

 

[jyoutz]

Yes, a proper size extension cord can be used , but most people don’t have a 12 ga cord.

Go to home depot and buy x feet of romex and plug ends. Make a cord.

 

[orezok]

Go to home depot and buy x feet of romex and plug ends. Make a cord.

Romex is not approved to be exposed extension cord.

 

[orezok]

Ultrarunner - A lawyer should never ask a question for which he does not already know the answer.

 

[docone]

Local electrical code will outline the circuit requirement for refrigerators and freezers. Use that as your BIBLE.

 

[grsthegreat]

They sell 12 g extension cords, but im not sure they sell short ones, I usually see 50 to 100’. No appliance should ever tun on extension cords that you usually see at HD or Lowe’s. Most of these are 14 or more usually 16 ga wires.

ive had some lazy employees run my hole hawgs on 16 ga HD cords and burn out the motors.

and if you’ve reciently priced out refers and freezers…. Maybe need new tenants. If you give into this, what will they try to get you to replace next.

now, when I wire additional refer and or freezer circuits in for clients, it’s ALWAYS 1 appliance per circuit.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Just to make sure all the facts are clear, your tenant had BOTH a chest freezer AND a refrigerator plugged in to the SAME outlet?

And this was a 15 amp circuit?

If so, there is your problem. No amount of extension cord size is gonna fix that.

You can't even do that inside the house.

And the circuit breaker for this outlet never pops?

 

[Torvy]

They sell 12 g extension cords, but im not sure they sell short ones, I usually see 50 to 100’. No appliance should ever tun on extension cords that you usually see at HD or Lowe’s. Most of these are 14 or more usually 16 ga wires.

ive had some lazy employees run my hole hawgs on 16 ga HD cords and burn out the motors.

and if you’ve reciently priced out refers and freezers…. Maybe need new tenants. If you give into this, what will they try to get you to replace next.

now, when I wire additional refer and or freezer circuits in for clients, it’s ALWAYS 1 appliance per circuit.

6-ft 12/3 Heavy Duty Lighted SJTW Indoor/Outdoor Extension Cord by Watt's Wire - Short Yellow 6' 12-Gauge Grounded 15-Amp Three-Prong Power-Cord (6 foot 12-Awg)

Saw this on Amazon.
4.8 out of 5 stars
1,449

 

[jaxs]

Go to home depot and buy x feet of romex and plug ends. Make a cord.

Plug ends are needless expense and get in the way while rolling cord up for storage. Run stripped wire though holes in freezer plug and crimp them over then flatten wires on other end so they slide into outlet easier. It's called hard wired and reccomended for permanent or semi-permanent applications. It works for drills,hedge clippers and vacuum cleaners but often come loose causing you having to stop and reconnect so it's a good idea to add some tape.

 

[grsthegreat]

Plug ends are needless expense and get in the way while rolling cord up for storage. Run stripped wire though holes in freezer plug and crimp them over then flatten wires on other end so they slide into outlet easier. It's called hard wired and reccomended for permanent or semi-permanent applications. It works for drills,hedge clippers and vacuum cleaners but often come loose causing you having to stop and reconnect so it's a good idea to add some tape.

what part of Kentucky were you from?

 

[kenmac]

My Bay Area tenant is an avid fisherman and has a freezer and a refrigerator plugged in under a backyard patio cover.

Tenant claims faulty electrical has caused several to fail.

I’ve tested the outlet with a load/voltage drop tester without issue.

Tenant wants to be reimbursed for two year old chest freezer that failed a week past warranty.

I don’t believe residential refrigerators should be used outside and having two plugged into a lightweight extension cord is proper… none the less he wants me to hire an electrician and pay for the two year old freezer…

Any refrigeration TBN members willing to comment?

What failed on the freezer ? Those things have a relay/overload that plugs onto the compressor that usually goes bad.
I have had several people give me refrigerators and freezers, and I have repair them by replacing these relays/overload switches.
Seems like the newer appliances blow these things more than older appliances.

I guess he would want you to replace his 220v window unit he plugged into a 110v outlet ! LOL

Idiot renters is the very reason I would never own rental property !

 

[grsthegreat]

a few months ago my 24 yo upright freezer failed. we had just got home from a horse show and still had horse trailer attached. i got on the phone and called every store in town. only 1 store had an upright in stock. bought it sight unseen and drove there and loaded it into the horse trailer. luckily i had a alarm on the old freezer so i found out about failure before all food defrosted.

in the mean time i ordered a new defrost timer and thermostat from the repair shop. took 3 weeks to get parts due to covid shortages. but i fixed old freezer. now i have 2 freezers....always have a back up now.

 

[MasseyFerg231]

Tell him to read the owner's manual of the failed unit regarding extension cords and environmental conditions for use.

Definitely check the manufactures installation/ operation manuals. Many won’t allow extension chords and have statements about being installed outside/ wet environments.

 

[Root Cause]

google and other sites have translators.

Explain that extension cords are not meant to handle one appliance much less 2 and will burn out a motor. In fact, it is dangerous to them and your rental home.

Offer to have an electrician install 2, CFCI outlets on that porch at your expense.
If this appliance was there when they moved in, then its on your dime.

If you have provided frig/freezer in the kitchen, and they brought this on their own, then this addition is their responsibility just like a hairdryer or tv.

If you feel it is in your best interest to replace this, I guess you can but as others have said, you are signing up for universal warranty replacement.

 

[kenmac]

Explain that extension cords are not meant to handle one appliance much less 2 and will burn out a motor. In fact, it is dangerous to them and your rental home.

While I agree that a GFCI is needed for out door use, or at least the out door plug be protected by a GFCI up stream. I have to disagree about using an extension cord for the appliance.

I have a 12/2 extension cord that connects to my freezer and fridge for the last xxxx years. The wall plug is also connected with 12/2 wire
Those small compressors 1/4 hp ? don't pull much juice. I can operate three of four of them plus lights, etc, off my 5500 watt generator