To prepare appliances for a power shutoff, get the fridge and freezer as cold and full as you can, protect electronics from the surge when power returns, and plan how you'll cook. A planned shutoff gives you a head start that a surprise outage doesn't.
In this post:
- •Put thermometers in the fridge and freezer
- •Fill the freezer
- •Plan to keep the doors shut
- •Unplug what you can
- •Know what your gas range can do
- •Use a generator safely
- •Restart in the right order
1. Put thermometers in the fridge and freezer
An appliance thermometer is the only reliable way to know how warm the food got while the power was off.
How to tell: If you have no thermometer inside, you'll be guessing about food safety later.
What to do: Place one in each compartment. Afterward, the reading tells you what to keep.
2. Fill the freezer
A full freezer holds cold far longer than a half-empty one.
How to tell: Open space on the shelves means lost cold time.
What to do: Fill gaps with frozen containers of water. Per USDA guidance, a full freezer keeps food safe about 48 hours unopened, a half-full one about 24.
3. Plan to keep the doors shut
A closed refrigerator keeps food safe for about four hours without power.
How to tell: If you'll need snacks or drinks, you'll be tempted to open it.
What to do: Move drinks and the day's food to a cooler with ice before the power goes off.
4. Unplug what you can
Power can flicker or surge as it comes back.
How to tell: Anything with a display or electronic controls is sensitive.
What to do: Unplug the microwave, countertop appliances and electronics, and turn the oven and cooktop off. Leave one lamp switched on so you know when power returns.
5. Know what your gas range can do
Many gas ovens with electronic ignition won't run without power.
How to tell: If your oven lights with a glowing igniter or a clicking spark, it needs electricity.
What to do: Check your manual before the shutoff. Some cooktops allow manual lighting; only do it if your manual describes it.
6. Use a generator safely
Generators produce carbon monoxide.
How to tell: Any spot indoors, in a garage or near a window is unsafe.
What to do: Run it outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house and away from windows, doors and vents. Plug the fridge directly into it with a heavy-duty outdoor cord. Never connect a generator to home wiring unless an electrician has installed a transfer switch.
7. Restart in the right order
Switching everything on at once puts a heavy load on the circuits just as power returns.
How to tell: Power is back when the lamp you left on lights up.
What to do: Wait a few minutes, then plug appliances back in one at a time. Check the thermometers, throw out perishables that sat above 40°F for two hours or more, and reset clocks.
When a technician is the better call
If the freezer won't get cold again, food thawed and refroze, or a unit trips the breaker after the restart, our freezer repair team can find out why.
Southern California note
Southern California Edison and some other utilities may turn off power in high fire-risk areas during dangerous wind and dry conditions, and they try to give advance notice when they can. A shutoff can last a few hours or stretch past a day. Whichever utility serves you, sign up for its outage alerts before fire season. Shutoffs often come in hot, dry weather, so read why fridges struggle in a heat wave too.
Marco's advice: Keep a few jugs of water in the freezer year-round. They take up dead space, and they're ready the moment a shutoff notice arrives.
Freezer not recovering after a shutoff? Call ProFix LA at (818) 334-4526.