I have a freezer in my garage. (didn’t feel like lugging it downstairs)
I am going to move it and would like to add a receptacle with a pilot light so I know when it has juice. Where can I find such an animal? I’ve looked at all the Big Boxes with no luck.
You get out of life what you put into it……minus taxes.
Marv
Replies
Never look at the big boxes for anything remotely useful or out of the ordinary.
Go to http://www.leviton.com, search around there, then find your local electrical supply house.
Leviton - tried that.You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
Why wouldn't a receptacle have power to it, unless you are switching one or both outlets?
You can readily get switches with pilot lights indicating ON, at electrical supply houses everywhere.
Some GFCI receptacles have a green led that is lit when the unit has power and is reset.
This will be a dedicated circuit running from my workshop. If the breaker is tripped or turned off accidentily, I want the pilot light to go out.
I thought about GFCI but it may trip when the freezer kicks on.You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
You don't want to use a GFCI on a freezer (or refigerator or sump pump). No need for one and too many false trips.
You can just get a night light and plug it into one side.
Makes sense, but my garage refer is plugged into a gfci outlet, and we've never had a problem with it. But you're right, why take the chance, especially if there are other (simpler) options available.
I never met a tool I didn't like!
Thanks for the replies. I'll let you know what I decided.You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
Not sure where to get them but I have seen small plug-in alarms with a battery that will go off if the a/c power goes off. Basically a normally closed switch held open by the outlet power. I second the small night light idea as a really inexpensive alternative.
Our freezer is fixed up with a thaw alarm. Got it at Sears many moons ago, but recently I saw they still carried them.
I'll check it out.You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
If it's 120 volt, how about plugging in a nite-lite in the unused receptacle...am I missing something?
buy a $2 surface mount single lamp fixture and wire it off the same box.
install it right above the freezer ... leave it on
light's out ... freezer's off.
or ... plug a nite light into the receptical ...
Jeff
I thought about the night light. I'll probably do that if a receptacle isn't available. Or maybe I'll buy a little diode and wire it in like I did my compressor power (I can see the light on from inside the house).
You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
Edited 11/3/2004 4:59 pm ET by Marv
Leviton does make one (in fact a whole series of them).
But it is in their hospital catalog.
Expect to pay more for it than the freezer (and contents).
8200-PLx is one series.
http://www.leviton.com/pdfs/ind%20receptacles/hospital%20booklet.pdf (BIG file if you are on dailup).
install it right above the freezer ... leave it on
Good idea.
Go you one better, get a closet fixture with a white plastic surround for the bulb. Use a permanent marker and write "Freezer" on it. Put the fixture near the exit door. (Better part there, is you just have to look just past the door, not all the way over to the appliance, to check.)Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Just get a regular duplex outlet and plug some sort of pilot light into one outlet, the freezer into the other. Any sort of "night light" will work, though you probably want something with a long life.
The other option is to hunt around for someone who carries the line (probably Leviton) of switches and outlets that that come as individual units and snap into a metal frame. You can get a single outlet and a pilot light unit, snap them into the frame, and put that behind a standard duplex cover.