Like any other home appliance, a freezer has many components and can break down anytime. Unfortunately, its breakdown would probably catch you unaware, and you’re left with no choice but to figure out what to do with the foods inside before they get spoiled. There are many reasons you might not be able to use your freezer, ranging from a short-term power outage due to storms to an extended power outage and complete freezer breakdown or failure.
Whichever the cause, you always have only a few options when your freezer breaks down: to quickly contact a professional refrigerator repair company or figure out a way to protect your frozen foods before the freezer works again. In most cases, you would like to protect your foods while still seeking professional help.
Here are tips on what to do with your frozen food when your freezer breaks down:
1. Quickly Relocate Your Foods
The simplest, fastest, and safest thing to do in this condition is to look for a nearby family member, friend, or neighbor who has space in their freezer to help you keep your food before you fix your freezer. Then, simply load every food item into an ice chest or blanket insulator and carry it to the new temporary home.
While considering this option, you need to quickly decide what food to keep and what to throw away because you will most likely have more in your freezer than what can be saved. Therefore, you must prioritize what needs to be saved. Dairy-free condiments, soft drinks, eggs, etc., don’t need refrigeration, and they can still survive this unforeseen situation without getting spoiled. However, you must immediately refrigerate soft cheeses, dairy, meat, and raw seafood.
2. Use Ice Chests
Suppose you cannot locate any nearby family member, friend, or neighbor who can help you protect your food before you fix your freezer. In that case, you can consider using normal ice in insulated coolers as a last alternative. First, ensure each cooler has a thermometer because you must keep the temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Make Use Of Dry Ice
If temporarily transferring your frozen foods to a nearby friend or neighbor is impossible, get dry ice from a local grocery store. Dry ice is simply frozen carbon dioxide. It is significantly colder than conventional ice created from water; therefore, it stays frozen longer than water. In addition, it can temporarily protect your food from thawing if placed in the freezer.
When working with dry ice, you need to be extra careful. Touching it with your bare hands will result in a chemical burn. Instead, wrap blocks of dry ice in towels or newspapers with gloves and set them in your freezer.
If you must place dry ice on top of food, lay down a layer of cardboard first. A 50-pound cake of dry ice is required for big chest or upright freezers, whereas a 25-pound cake of dry ice is required for smaller freezers.
There is never a suitable day or time for your freezer to break down. However, when it eventually happens, if you take the necessary precautions, you can protect your food. Regardless of the steps you take to protect your food, you still need to consider fixing your freezer if you’re not buoyant enough to buy a new freezer immediately.
If you’re looking for reliable freezer repair services, you can contact us at 800-639-9340 to get your freezer fixed instead of buying a new one.
