OK to put fridge on breaker with lights?

[spasso]

My refrigerator currently is on an outlet that is powered from my living room with the normal lights and also my entertainment center. I recognize that this is a bad situation and my TV has twice stopped working because of an internal power protection cut off switch. The only other outlet I can plug the fridge with now also has my 1500 watt microwave on it which I also don't want to do.

I want to pull the fridge outlet off the living room circuit and isolate it. Now, I also have 2 outdoor lights on their own breaker, they are both single 75 watt bulbs. The outdoor lights are wired with the supply coming to the fixture. It would be infinitely easier, from every point of view, to pull power off these lights to power the fridge instead of putting in a new breaker for it.

Would it be acceptable to just pull power from this circuit for the fridge outlet?

[Wgoodrich]

The fridge per the NEC may be shared on the small appliance branch circuit for kitchen receptacles dedicated for kitchen recepacles only with the fridge allowed on that small appliance branch circuit. Otherwise the NEC only gives one other choice and that is to install that fridge on a dedicated fridge branch circuit with nothing else on that circuit.

Lighting or living room circuits are not one of those options per the NEC.

Hope this helps

Wg

[spasso]

Thanks Wg, that's what I was afraid of.

Where can I find older syle breakers? The only ones I find at Lowe's / Depot are the new style. If new ones are "long and thin" then mine are "short and fat" The box has instruction to use at least 75*C wire if this gives you a clue as to how old it is.

[Wgoodrich]

Open your panel door and look at the label inside that panel door. It should provide you with the brand of panel and style of panel. Then go to an electrical wholesale house designed for electrical contractors. They should either have your breaker or be able to order one in in a couple of days. Sounds like you may have a pushmatic ITE breaker panel. Do you push a button to turn on and off your breaker? Look inside your panel door for the info you will need to get a breaker listed for use in your panel.

Good Luck

Wg

[spasso]

Nah, don't push a button, it is still a back and forth switch like the new ones, they are just different shaped. I'll take some pix tonight so you can see them.

Thanks