Originally Posted by
Paul Kondzich
I know you dont want a refrigerator on a GFCI because the start up load may trip the GFCI.
Side stepping the other part of that answer which John addressed regarding 'refrigerator on GFCI', but addressing 'the reason' you gave ...
"The start up load" is not going to trip a GFCI. A GFCI does not care if there is 1 amp or 50 amps through the GFCI (provided, of course) that the GFCI can handle the current, and you can get 100 amp rated GFCIs), the GFCI *ONLY* cares that *THE SAME AMOUNT* of current, whatever that amount of current is, goes through both the neutral and the hot, within 5 ma of each other, that is.
[quote]But when I think about it I have seen a refrigerator within 6 feet of a water source.[/q]
You should have forgotten about that 6 foot rule 10 years ago or more, and, besides, it was only for "receptacles which serve the countertop", and refrigerator receptacles *do not serve the countertop*.