Freezer tripping GCFI outlet

[wkilleffer]

Hello,
Recently, to make better use of some of the space in my garage, I moved our antique Coldspot freezer from an off the garage storage closet with a non-gcfi outlet, to the main area of the garage with a gcfi outlet. I plugged it in and it ran for about a week without incident.

Just before I went on a business trip, I noticed that the frost seemed thick in the freezer, so I unloaded it, unplugged it, and left it open to defrost while I was gone. It stayed unplugged for a little over 1 week.

When I tried to plug it back in yesterday, it tripped the circuit protection on the gcfi outlet. I checked to make sure there were no breaks in the freezer's cord, nor the extension cord I have to use with it, and there were none. There was no moisture in the area.

Are those outlets designed to trip at a certain voltage regardless of ground conditions? The freezer's not in perfect shape, but it worked for us for three trouble-free years and for my wife's grandmother at least 30 years prior to that. It's no less than 50 years old. This is frustrating cause I want to be able to use it some more. Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
Thank you,

William Killeffer
East Ridge, TN

[kactuskid]

You don't want to connect a freezer or refrigerator to a GFCI protected receptacle. The reason is cause the compressor has a larger electrical surge when it starts, this will sometimes give an imbalance signal to the GFCI and it'll trip every time. So, below is a quote from a link I'll post at the bottom, it'll give you the options you have as to installing a non-GFCI receptacle to power your freezer.

"The following exceptions can apply concerning your GFI protection of receptacles in an attached garage, if these attached garage receptacles meet the requirements of these exceptions. If a duplex receptacle is located behind a large appliance such as a refrigerator, freezer, washer, dryer etc., making the duplex receptacle “not to be readily accessible”, and if this duplex receptacle is located behind the large appliance, then the GFI protection is not required to protect that non-readily accessible receptacle that is serving that appliance and located behind that appliance. NEC Article 210.8.A.Exception.1 If a receptacle serving a large appliance is located so that it is not located behind the large appliances in a manner so that it “is readily accessible” then that receptacle that is serving that appliance but is not installed behind that appliance must be a single receptacle and not a duplex receptacle. If this receptacle serving that appliance is a single receptacle and not a duplex receptacle then this single receptacle can still be without GFCI protection. NEC Article 210.8.A..2.Exception.2 If you have a washer and a gas dryer, and the duplex receptacle is designed so that both appliances are going to be left plugged into the same duplex receptacle on a permanent basis, and this receptacle serves both the washer or dryer, and this duplex receptacle serving both appliances is locate between these two large appliances then the GFCI protection is not required, in this particular scenario as long as it is installed between the large appliances or is installed behind one of the large appliances. NEC Article 210.8.A.2.Exception.2 If you have receptacles that are installed so that they are out of reach “not readily accessible” such as located on the wall or ceiling and located above approximately 8’, then the GFCI protection is not required to serve that receptacle. NEC Article 210.8.A.2.Exception.1 "

Per: http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/homew...ing/attgarage/