Does anyone know how many hours your power can be out before the food in your refrigerator/freezer goes bad?

My power was out this morning for 4 & 1/2 hours. There have been frequent power outages here unfortunately.

It depends on many things like the size of the fridge, how well it works, how insulated it is and how much food is inside. If your freezer is well stocked it may last a bit longer over having just a few items inside. The food will thaw much more quickly if the freezer is not well stocked.

A way to keep the food lasting longer is to put frozen bottles of water and/or ice surrounding the food while the power is out to keep it lasting a few days longer.

Also don't open/close the door much so that the cool air stays inside.

In 2004 I lost power for three days during Hurricane Charlie. I lost the food in the refrigerator, but the food in the freezer was spared thanks to a Neighbor who went to Atlanta and got Generators for us. (We all chipped in $200.00 for the Generators plus $25.00 for his Travel Expenses). The Frozen Food was without power for 24 hours and no ill effects happened to me eating this food. Today the generator is kept on standby in case I experience another major power outage. (The last was also in 2004. five days due to Hurricane Francis). I HIGHLY recommend getting a Generator, you never know when you may need to use it. (Just use it PROPERLY, every time a Severe Storm, such as a Hurricane, causes a multi-day Power Outage AT LEAST ONE Imbecile will get killed because he or she decided to run the Generator INDOORS. :crazy: Don't forget to chain the Generator to a Metal Post, I also hear about someone getting their Generator STOLEN because they didn't take the proper precautions). :rolleyes:

A generator will PAY FOR ITSELF the first time you have to use it, because of all the food that will be spared. :thumbsup:

Thanks for the information.

Keep the items in both buched together, open the doors as little as possible and pray alot. lol

I have to clean-out my fridge because of the blackout I had during Halloween.

But my freezer seems to be fine...I didn't get sick yet!

I still hear of people who still haven't got their power restored. :confused:

I've sent one of the HESS Toy Trucks I get every year to a group that's organized a Toy Drive for Hurricane Sandy Victims. It's the least I can do.

I still hear of people who still haven't got their power restored. :confused:

I've sent one of the HESS Toy Trucks I get every year to a group that's organized a Toy Drive for Hurricane Sandy Victims. It's the least I can do.

Yeah, many in NY are still w/o power.

i bet they had a massive run on generators - we had a big storm here (remnants of some hurricane or other) that knocked out some people's power for over a week, now everyone in town has a backup generator.

- also had a bunch of people die from carbon monoxide poisoning for being too dumb to run those things OUTSIDE