Wattage of Refrigerator: Safe to Use This?

[junkofdavid2]

Hi!

 

The only space in my small condo unit to put my small oven is on top of the fridge.

 

Unfortunately I only have one power outlet near the fridge ???? so I'll have to use a circuit switch with 2 outlets.

 

Oven is 1,300 watts.

Circuit switch up to 2,300 watts.

Refrigerator... I don't know where to see the wattage? It's in Thai (attached).

 

Is it safe to do this?

[junkofdavid2]

Attached is my circuit switch...

[jastheace]

fridge 160 Watt max. theoretically, 'yes'

never did trust those extension leads though....

[junkofdavid2]

Okay thanks!

 

Wow, do fridges really have such low wattage? 

 

I guess so. I'm surprised...

 

Quote

never did trust those extension leads though....

 

Yeah, but even if their 2,300 watts of the extension is "exaggerated," I'd think it's a safe buffer if 1,300 watts (oven) + 160 watts (fridge) = 1,460 watts total... very below the 2,300 watts.

 

I'm more surprised about the fridge being labelled as just 160 watts max ???? 

 

(but what do I know, I'm not an electric guy at all)

Edited November 12, 2019 by junkofdavid2
Added information

[steve187]

can you not change the single socket to a double

[jastheace]

1 minute ago, steve187 said:

can you not change the single socket to a double

if he's allowed to that would make sense. 

I don't like the extension leads as the sockets seem to be even lower quality than the fixed wall mount sockets, the pins inside 'splay' and contact becomes iffy after a few in and outs with plugs. plus they get in the way and risk breaking or the add chang beer being spilt on them if they are on the counter

[Beggar]

The fridge doesn't need much and if your oven triggers the fuse you will know it immediately. But make sure that your oven does not damage the top of the fridge. 

[junkofdavid2]

26 minutes ago, steve187 said:

can you not change the single socket to a double

 

Would have to go through my very old landlady who I haven't seen in 5 years, and then the red tape of the condo juristic person, then would have to use the official maintenance here; so I'd rather not.

 

Thanks for the replies, folks. (More are welcome, of course)

[junkofdavid2]

25 minutes ago, jastheace said:

if he's allowed to that would make sense. 

I don't like the extension leads as the sockets seem to be even lower quality than the fixed wall mount sockets, the pins inside 'splay' and contact becomes iffy after a few in and outs with plugs. plus they get in the way and risk breaking or the add chang beer being spilt on them if they are on the counter

I stick them up on the wall, so no risk of spills; plus I only unplug/replug at most once a year.

[Jan Dietz]

The rating on the label is 220V 0.9AMP, so ~200W MAX load.

nothing to worry about.

[junkofdavid2]

Just now, Jan Dietz said:

The rating on the label is 220V 0.9AMP, so ~200W MAX load.

nothing to worry about.

Thanks... I was wondering what the AMP rating was.

[longball53098]

Worry seems to be about the extension but what about the power point itself and what all is connected to that circuit? Old house or apartment this plug may be part of just one circuit that is already loaded to the max.

[Tayaout]

11 hours ago, junkofdavid2 said:

Thanks... I was wondering what the AMP rating was.

https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm's_law

[junkofdavid2]

42 minutes ago, longball53098 said:

Worry seems to be about the extension but what about the power point itself and what all is connected to that circuit? Old house or apartment this plug may be part of just one circuit that is already loaded to the max.

Yup, that's always a risk, for any appliance.  The building's around 10 years old; relatively new.

[Crossy]

Toshino are a reasonably good brand so the chances are that the extension is actually rated somewhere near what it says.

 

But I do note that the flex is 0.75mm² which would put its continuous rating at about 6A in free air so your 1500W load (about 7A) is going to have it get pretty warm. Don't leave it unattended when the oven is turned on, just the fridge will be fine.

 

Personally, I'd go out and buy some 1.5mm² 3-core flex (good for 16A), a 3-pin plug and a 3-pin traily outlet (I've seen them in 2 and 4 outlet style), then make your own lead to your requirements.

 

I even did an instructable:-

 

 

[junkofdavid2]

Thanks, Crossy!

[maxpower]

4 hours ago, Tayaout said:

https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohm's_law

The power calculation Power = Amps x Volts is ok but note :-

 

Measuring AC appliance resistance with a multi meter then using ohms law Current = Voltage/Resistance will not work with inductive loads like refrigerator motors where resistance Z is much more complex. 

[maxpower]

16 hours ago, junkofdavid2 said:

Thanks... I was wondering what the AMP rating was.

This might help with the confusion.

 

https://sciencing.com/difference-between-resistive-inductive-loads-12181159.html

[bluesofa]

17 minutes ago, maxpower said:

This might help with the confusion.

 

https://sciencing.com/difference-between-resistive-inductive-loads-12181159.html

Cor, that takes me back to college days decades ago!

 

Our lecturer taught us to remember the word 'CIVIL' in order to work out the order:

In a capacitive load, 'C', current 'I' leads voltage 'V', but conversely voltage 'V' follows current 'I' in a resistive load 'L'.

 

Also 'CIVIL' is one of the few words composed using Roman numerals: I see it as 104 and 49.

(sorry!)

[sometimewoodworker]

3 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Cor, that takes me back to college days decades ago!

 

Our lecturer taught us to remember the word 'CIVIL' in order to work out the order:

In a capacitive load, 'C', current 'I' leads voltage 'V', but conversely voltage 'V' follows current 'I' in a resistive load 'L'.

 

Also 'CIVIL' is one of the few words composed using Roman numerals: I see it as 104 and 49.

(sorry!)

CIVIL reads as 153,  to read as 104 and 49. it would be CIV and  IL and so not a word. ???? 

Edited November 13, 2019 by sometimewoodworker

[Jan Dietz]

Bleh if you want to be pedantic CIVIL isn't a roman number, as the L MUST come before the V (higher before lower except for subtracting, but then only one letter allowed. max 3 of a kind in a row except M)

[junkofdavid2]

And I thought only computer people were geeks nowadays ????

 

But thanks guys, your replies are awesome ????

[junkofdavid2]

19 hours ago, Crossy said:

Toshino are a reasonably good brand so the chances are that the extension is actually rated somewhere near what it says.

 

But I do note that the flex is 0.75mm² which would put its continuous rating at about 6A in free air so your 1500W load (about 7A) is going to have it get pretty warm. Don't leave it unattended when the oven is turned on, just the fridge will be fine.

 

Personally, I'd go out and buy some 1.5mm² 3-core flex (good for 16A), a 3-pin plug and a 3-pin traily outlet (I've seen them in 2 and 4 outlet style), then make your own lead to your requirements.

 

 

 

 

The extension states 10A which is higher than 7A... am I missing something? (I'm not an electrical guy)

 

Confused ????

[bankruatsteve]

3 minutes ago, junkofdavid2 said:

 

The extension states 10A which is higher than 7A... am I missing something? (I'm not an electrical guy)

 

Confused ????

The 10 amp rating is possibly a bit liberal and the 7 amp is a bit conservative.  Don't worry about it.

[sometimewoodworker]

6 minutes ago, junkofdavid2 said:

 

The extension states 10A which is higher than 7A... am I missing something? (I'm not an electrical guy)

 

Confused ????

Yes you are missing the fact that Crossy’s eyes are like a hawk and he spotted the fact that the cable is using .75mm² wire 

[Crossy]

37 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Yes you are missing the fact that Crossy’s eyes are like a hawk and he spotted the fact that the cable is using .75mm² wire 

 

And that the Bangkok Cable website rates that at 6A in free air 

http://www.bangkokcable.com/product/backoffice/file_upload/131004_20-300!500V 70C 60227 IEC 53-3C (GNYE).pdf

 

Pretty well every extension I've looked at with a 10A rating (fuse or breaker) is using undersized cable. For a toaster or kettle (short term loads) it's not much of an issue. But an oven which may be on for extended periods it's really pushing the envelope.

 

It's not going to immediately burst into flames, but check how warm the cable actually gets and don't leave it unattended when the oven is operating. It will probably be OK but it's worth keeping an eye on.

 

 

[bankruatsteve]

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

And that the Bangkok Cable website rates that at 6A in free air 

http://www.bangkokcable.com/product/backoffice/file_upload/131004_20-300!500V 70C 60227 IEC 53-3C (GNYE).pdf

Is that for 100m of cable?  Wouldn't it be different for 1m?

[junkofdavid2]

By the way my cable is 3 meters, if that counts for anything. 

[sometimewoodworker]

48 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

Is that for 100m of cable?  Wouldn't it be different for 1m?

Does the length of the cable affect its current rating? I would think not. The length affects the resistance and voltage drop but I’ve never heard that the rating is changed. 
 

As mentioned over driving a cable by a moderate amount for a reasonably short length of time it is on likely to cause damage. 

[bankruatsteve]

23 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Does the length of the cable affect its current rating? I would think not.

I'm pretty sure it does.  Wait for Crossy.