How many Amps does a Refrigerator use? (+ Most Efficient Refrigerator)

A refrigerator is a given appliance that uses most of the energy in the home. On average in the US state, the power consumption of a refrigerator is about 7% of the whole household’s energy usage. So the person who is going to buy a new refrigerator or wants to know about how many arms a refrigerator uses this article about the amperage consumption by different types of refrigerators. 

How many amps does a refrigerator use? 

The amperage used by a refrigerator depends on the size of the refrigerator. If a refrigerator is bigger in size it does have more capacity to cool the item for which it needs to have a bigger compressor due to which a compressor consumes most power from 1 to 15 amps. Let’s understand by examples:

  • A small Refrigerator can use the amperage of 1 amp. 
  • A beverage cooler uses an amperage from 6 to 12 amps. 
  • An 18 cu ft refrigerator does use an amperage that ranges from 6 to 7 amps
  • A small wine fridge does use an amperage of around 20 amps circuit breaker
Refrigerator
Refrigerator

Amps used by a normal refrigerator:

  • A normal refrigerator that uses approximately 725 watts of energy and that is used on a 120-volt circuit uses 6.04 amps on average. 
  • The most common amperage used is from 3 amps to as high as 10 amps or more. 
  • The amps used by the refrigerator does depend on the make, model, and how old the refrigerator is. 
  • There are some models that use wattage as low as 400 watts and as high as 1300 watts and it draws an amperage that ranges between 3.3 amps to 10.8 amps. 

The formula for calculating the amperage:

Amps = watts/volts.

The below video explains in detail how to calculate the amps drawn by an appliance.

Refrigerator

Amps used by a small refrigerator:

  • A small refrigerator can draw an amperage of 2 amps
  • The factors which affect the amperage most commonly are the location, room temperature, and many more. 
  • The requirements when compared with the larger refrigerator it does have much lower requirements. 
  • The small refrigerator that uses a wattage between 55 and 85 watts draws the amperage from 0.5 to 0.7 amps.
  • If the wattage consumption is upto 240 watts then it brings the maximum amperage to 2 amps

Amps drawn by a refrigerator on start-up:

  • The refrigerator does use extra power to start up rather than running steadily. 
  • On average a refrigerator uses around 15 amps on startup. 
  • An amperage drawn by a refrigerator sometimes can be triple on startup. For example, if the refrigerator uses 725 watts it can draw the amperage of 18.12 amps during the startup which is obtained by tripling the amount of wattage 725*3=2175 watts and dividing it by 120 volts. 

What is the most energy-efficient refrigerator?

The following table explains the most energy-efficient refrigerator having 5-star ratings and capacity.

Most energy-efficient refrigeratorCapacity 
Godrej 5-star inverter direct cool single-door refrigerator210 L
Whirlpool 5-star inverter direct cool single-door refrigerator215 L
Samsung 5-star inverter direct cool single-door refrigerator198 L
Haier 5-star inverter direct cool single-door refrigerator195 L
LG 5-star inverter direct cool single-door refrigerator190 L
Refrigerator
Refrigerator

What are the types of refrigerators? 

With the development of Technology, there are manufacturers who are creating devices that do create a lower amp draw and want to make their devices more efficient than others. So there are many brands that are being invented such as Whirlpool, Samsung, LG, and many more worldwide brands and types of refrigerators. Check about the amps used by the fridge and the cost of running a refrigerator from here.

The following are the types of refrigerators:

  • Dual refrigerator. 
  • French door refrigerator. 
  • Mini refrigerator.

Dual refrigerator:

A dual refrigerator is a type of respiratory that has a two-door type having the feature of a fridge and a freezer. The dual refrigerator that is the most energy-efficient is the Mount freezer according to the energy star rating.

Refrigerator
Refrigerator

French door refrigerator:

The French door refrigerator is invented in a way that it has dual side-by-side doors and a freezer drawer at the bottom and this makes the refrigerator efficient by opening one door at a time and does have a large storage. 

Refrigerator
Refrigerator

The mini refrigerator:

This refrigerator is invented in a way that it can easily be transported from one place to another place as it is a small unit and takes little space. A mini refrigerator is efficient to use at workplaces, bars, and many more. Also, the amp used by the Mini refrigerator is lower than the larger refrigerator.

Refrigerator
Refrigerator

Does a refrigerator need its own circuit? 

Having its own circuit in a refrigerator is not a bad option but it is not Compulsory. If the refrigerator does have a dedicated circuit it will protect the appliances. For example, if there is over power consumption the breaker which is connected to the fridge will trip. 

Conclusion: 

It is good for a person to know about the power consumption and amperage used by a refrigerator. On reading the above article we can conclude here that the amperage drawn by a refrigerator depends on many factors and it does change in every case. 

FAQ’s

Is it possible to run a refrigerator on a 15-amp circuit? 

A refrigerator installed on 15-20 amps needs a dedicated 120-volt circuit. 

Rick Costa

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