How An Electrician Might Add A New Circuit, Wiring, And Outlet For Your New Freezer

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If you have a large family and need to store a lot of frozen foods, you may need a chest freezer to hold all of your food. You may even want the additional appliance so you can stock up on food in case of food shortages, or you may hunt and need the space for your game.

Since you may not have room in your kitchen for another appliance, you may need to keep your new chest freezer in the garage, basement, or laundry room. If you have an outbuilding, you may even want the appliance installed there so it's close but out of the way. Here's a look at how an electrician can install the wiring for your new freezer.

Consider GFCI Regulations

Some areas such as the garage and laundry room may be required by electrical codes to have GFCI outlets. However, if your freezer is plugged into one of these outlets and the outlet trips, the power is cut off and your food could spoil if you don't catch it in time.

Your electrician may recommend installing the freezer on a standard circuit using a standard outlet in a way that's in compliance with electrical codes. You could also choose to put your freezer in a different area where GFCI outlets are not required.

Evaluate The Electrical Panel

A freezer needs its own electrical circuit. The electrical contractor has to evaluate your service panel to see if there is room to add another circuit. If you have a subpanel in an outbuilding or your garage, the electrician might find space for a circuit in the subpanel. If your main panel is full and you don't have a subpanel, the electrician has to upgrade the panel or add a subpanel to it to provide space for the new circuit.

Install The New Wiring And Outlet

If you're placing the freezer in your house, the electrician can install the new circuit breaker and run the wiring behind the walls to the new outlet to be installed. If the appliance will be in an outbuilding, the electrician has to run wiring underground from the electrical panel to the outlet.

If the electrical contractor is installing a subpanel in the outbuilding, the wiring is run from the electrical panel to the subpanel and then from the circuit breaker in the subpanel to the outlet.

Inspect The Work

Once the new circuit, wiring, and outlet are installed, the electrician checks their work to make sure everything is operating properly. The work will probably be inspected by the codes department too as part of the permit process required for electrical work.

Then your new freezer outlet will be ready to use so you can keep food handy for daily use and as a backup so you don't have to worry about being short of food if you can't get to the store or if the store is out of foods your family likes. For more information, contact an electrician.


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