Luckily, the recent cold front sweeping across the country has not impacted South Florida residents as much as other states. Still, there have been many reports of local electrical systems struggling to keep up with the increased load of residents running heat through their AC and using external space heaters. Florida residents also know the potential for hurricanes and severe weather events to knock out their power, potentially for days. A power outage can cause all of your refrigerated and frozen food to spoil, but eating this food, such as in an emergency without power, can be just as deadly as any storm or hurricane. To keep your family safe and healthy, here are some guidelines regarding how long it is safe for food to be without refrigeration during an electrical outage.
40 Degrees Or Higher
According to the USDA, any refrigerated food item held above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for two or more hours should not be eaten and should be discarded immediately. Your fridge should maintain a temperature below this level for a short while, even without power, but it will begin to reach unsafe levels after one or two hours. Therefore, most food will spoil after three or four hours following a power outage.
Some modern fridges have temperature gauges that show the internal temperature of the two compartments on a screen on the outside of the door. In this case, tracking when your food starts to reach the danger zone is easier. If your fridge is an older model with only an internal temperature visual indicator, you may be unable to assess the temperature accurately. Opening the door to check is also not recommended, as this immediately releases cold air and causes the food to spoil quicker.
Freezer food has more leeway, as freezers tend to stay cooler for longer periods of time following a power outage. In general, most food is safe to refreeze after the restoration of power as long as they feel cold when you take them out of the freezer. If visible ice is lining the packages, this proves that sub-freezing temperatures have held even without power from the fridge. A complete list of items, discussing how and when they are safe to eat or discard, can be found here on the Food Safety website run by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
If upgrading your fridge is out of the question, a cheap and easy solution that allows you to monitor the internal temperature of your fridge is wireless, smartphone-connected thermometers. You can check the temperature of your freezer and fridge on your phone, which is helpful even outside of power outage situations to ensure your fridge is always working as intended to keep your food safe to eat.
Preparing For An Electrical Outage
It is never too early to prepare for a power or electrical outage. The best ways to ensure you are safe and protected during an outage or disaster are stockpiling unperishable food and purchasing a generator. A generator can be used to power your fridge in emergencies and power the rest of your house and devices if an extended power outage affects your daily life. A portable generator is sufficient for small-scale powering of a fridge, but a full-sized, installed generator is best for powering an entire home. Having a working generator on hand means you never have to worry about a major disaster or storm depriving you of your essential electric services within the home.
Preparing for a storm or outage is best done beforehand by purchasing and installing a generator. Call Promise Electric today to learn more about protecting your food and your family with a generator.
