What To Do When The Freezer Stops

If your freezer is full and you keep the door closed, foods will probably stay frozen a couple of days. Dry ice can extend freezing up to two days.

Don't panic if your electricity has gone off or if your freezer goes on the blink. A fully-loaded freezer that has been operating at zero degrees Fahrenheit will usually stay cold enough to keep foods frozen for a couple of days, even when the weather is hot. If the freezer is only half full, however, food may not stay frozen for more than a day. Keep the freezer door closed as much as possible.

Dry ice, a two-day solution…

If the problem means more than a day or two without power, you'll need to try to protect your food. Putting dry ice in the freezer can keep your food frozen. Look in the yellow pages of your telephone directory for suppliers of dry ice. For a 20-cubic foot freezer that is full of food, you'll need 25 pounds of dry ice. This should keep your food frozen for about two days. If the freezer is only about half full, the dry ice will protect your food for a day or two.

Here's how to use dry ice.

Put some thick cardboard or layers of newspaper on top of the food and place the dry ice on the cardboard. Be sure to wear gloves when you handle dry ice, and work quickly.

More than two days…

If the power or your freezer will be off for more than two or three days, you may need to transfer the food to another freezer. Wrap food in newspapers and place it in coolers. Work quickly, especially in hot weather.

For more information on what to do when the freezer stops, contact your local county Extension office.

For more information on removing freezer odor; contact your local county Extension office.