Freezer Stopped Working With Meat Inside: What to Do Next

Keep the freezer closed while you figure out what happened. A full freezer that stays shut holds a safe temperature for about 48 hours, and a half-full one for about 24, according to FoodSafety.gov. Every time you open it to check, you give that time away.

Do this first

1. Confirm it's the freezer and not the power. Check whether the interior light or display is on, whether the outlet works with a lamp, and whether a breaker has tripped. Garage outlets are often protected by a GFCI, so look for a tripped GFCI outlet on that wall or in the garage, bathroom or outdoors. If resetting it brings the freezer back, keep the lid closed and watch the temperature.
2. Feel for warmth, but don't dig. Open the lid or door once, briefly, and note whether packages are still hard-frozen at the top. Then close it.
3. Put a thermometer inside if you don't already keep one there. The USDA advises keeping appliance thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer at all times (USDA FSIS).
4. Listen. A compressor that hums and clicks off every few minutes, or total silence with the light on, is useful information for the technician.

In the next few hours

• Decide where the meat goes if repair won't happen within a day. Options in order: another freezer, a neighbor's freezer, or coolers packed tightly with ice.
• Consider dry ice for a big load. USDA FSIS says 50 pounds of dry ice should hold a full 18-cubic-foot freezer for 2 days. Follow the seller's handling instructions; dry ice is cold enough to burn skin.
• Keep the freezer packed. A full freezer holds cold longer than a half-empty one, so if you move some items out, fill the gaps with bags of ice instead of leaving air space.
• Sort by what can be refrozen. Food may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is at 40°F or below, though its quality may suffer (FoodSafety.gov). Thawed meat that has sat above 40°F for more than 2 hours should be discarded. Never taste food to decide whether it's safe.
• Cook what's thawed but still cold. Meat that's thawed yet still at 40°F or below can be cooked and then refrozen or eaten, which keeps it from going to waste.

Before the technician arrives

Have this ready:

• The model and serial number. Upright freezers usually have the label inside on a side wall or along the door frame. Chest freezers often have it on the outside back or side, or under the lid near the rim.
• What the freezer did before it quit: running constantly, frost building on the walls, a clicking sound, a burning smell or a noise change.
• The thermometer reading and how long you think it has been off.
• Where it sits, for example a garage that gets very hot in summer, and whether it's on a GFCI outlet or an extension cord.

What not to do:

• Don't keep opening it to check. Read the thermometer through a quick crack, or use a wireless thermometer.
• Don't chip ice off the walls with sharp tools. A punctured wall can mean a refrigerant leak.
• Don't plug it into an extension cord to "try another outlet". The U.S. Fire Administration says major appliances should be plugged directly into a wall outlet.
• Don't unplug and replug it repeatedly. After a reset, give it several minutes to start, because quick on-off cycling makes the problem harder to diagnose.

How to keep it from happening again

• Keep a thermometer in every freezer, ideally one with an alarm that alerts your phone.
• Clean the condenser coils or grille on the schedule in your owner's manual, more often in a dusty garage.
• Give it breathing room. Leave the clearance the manual calls for at the back and sides, especially in a hot garage.
• Know which outlet and breaker it's on, and test GFCI outlets monthly so a nuisance trip doesn't catch you by surprise.
• Plan for what a full freezer means. If you keep a large stock of meat, have coolers and a backup plan ready before you need them.

If the kitchen fridge is the problem instead, see what to do when the refrigerator door was left open overnight, which uses the same 40°F rule. For a freezer that won't cool, our freezer service page explains what a visit covers.

Sources

• FoodSafety.gov: Food Safety During Power Outage
• USDA FSIS: Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency
• U.S. Fire Administration: Appliance and Electrical Fire Safety

Keep in mind: The 48-hour figure applies only while the freezer stays closed, so a thermometer reading beats guessing every time.

Call ProFix Dallas at (469) 886-1122 to get the freezer diagnosed before the food runs out of time.