Preparing Your Refrigerator for Power Loss

Florida residents typically experience numerous power outages throughout the year. It’s important to protect your refrigerator in the event of power loss by following the below steps:

1) Turn your ice maker off. Depending on your model, this is done by adjusting a metal arm in the ice maker, a switch in the ice maker, or via a control panel. Consult your owner’s manual for instructions specific to your model. If you do not have an owner’s manual, visit the manufacturer’s website to consult the online version.

TIP: Familiarize yourself with how to turn off your ice maker prior to power loss so that you are prepared

2) Remove any ice in the ice bin to prevent melting a refreezing, which can damage your ice maker auger.

3) If you have an in-door dispenser, place an absorbent towel in the dispenser tray to soak up any dripping water.

In order to minimize food loss, open your refrigerator and freezer doors as little and briefly as possible. A sealed refrigerator will keep food safe about 4 hours, while a sealed freezer will keep food safe about 48 hours full and about 24 hours half full. Consult this chart to determine which food to discard after power loss.