Power Outage with Food in The Fridge

Preparation

There are some precautions you can take in case a power outage does happen. You should always keep your appliance thermometers at appropriate temperatures. The refrigerator should be at 40°F or below, and the freezer should be at 0°F or below. Having frozen gel packs and coolers stored and ready to help keep your food cold can help during emergencies. Block ice is also an item that could come in handy. Remember to keep your refrigerator door closed as much as possible to reduce the amount of cold air that escapes. Getting backup house generators is also an option. Have an electrician examine and tell you which size generator is suitable for your house. Mr. Electric can send specialists for the generator installation.

Ways To Keep Your Food Safe

• Keep Your Refrigerator Door Closed – Keeping the door closed will allow the food to stay cold for longer. A closed refrigerator can stay cold for up to 4 hours. A half-full freezer can stay old for up to 24 hours, and a full freezer can stay cold for 48 hours. To minimize the number of times you have to open your fridge doors, eat nonperishable food items stored outside the refrigerator and freezer first.
• Store Food Together in Your Freezer – Grouping all your frozen food together in your freezer will keep your food colder for a longer time. Transferring some food stored in your refrigerator to your freezer will also help store food longer. Some items that can be transferred are milk and meats.
• Keep Ice and Coolers Handy – Having ice stored in your freezer can keep food at a colder temperature. It can also come in handy when needed to transfer to a cooler. In case your water supply is limited or becomes contaminated, you should have extra water bottles stored in your freezer as well. Do not try to store your food items outside if the weather is cold or has snow. The temperature can vary, and the food can attract wildlife.

How To Tell If Your Food Has Gone Bad

Never taste food to determine if it has gone bad. If you feel like something is wrong with your food, throw it out. Food with an unusual odor, color, or texture should also be thrown out. Throw out perishable food in your refrigerator if you have gone more than 4 hours without power. Be sure to check the temperatures of your food; if it is above 40°F, then throw it out. You can refreeze or cook frozen food that is still below 40°F.

After the power outage, if your refrigerator is not working or you’re having electrical issues, call an affordable electrician from Mr. Electric. We also suggest a generator installation to help out with future power outages.