Hurricane season is the time to look at your garage freezer, before an outage tests it. A clean freezer with a tight seal holds cold longer than one packed with ice.
Defrost when the ice gets thick
Thick ice steals space and forces the compressor to run longer. Plan to defrost when the walls hold more than about a quarter inch of ice.
- Move the food to coolers with ice packs.
- Unplug the freezer and prop the lid open.
- Put towels along the bottom and let the ice soften. Do not chip with a knife or screwdriver; the walls can be punctured.
- Wash the interior with a gentle baking soda mix, then dry every surface.
- Plug in, close the lid and wait until it is cold before reloading.
Check the lid seal
Run your hand along the gasket. Flat spots, tears or a seal that does not meet the cabinet in one corner will let in warm air. Test with a sheet of paper as you would with a refrigerator door.
Organize for an outage
- Fullness helps, since a packed freezer holds cold better than a sparse one; fill gaps with containers of frozen water.
- Keep a list of what is inside on the lid.
- Leave a thermometer in a cup of ice so the reading does not need the lid open.
After power returns
If the thermometer reads above freezing, or food has thawed and refrozen, follow standard food safety guidance and discard what is doubtful. We cannot judge food safety for you.
If you are away during a storm, a neighbor with a key and a written list of what to check can save a freezer full of food. Plan that before the season starts.
If the freezer runs constantly or the lid no longer seals, we can inspect it. Learn what we check on the freezer repair page. If you are unsure whether we reach your neighborhood, the service area page lists every county.