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11 replies

Refridgerator quit! What can I keep???

FM Former Member
The GFI tripped on the outlet in the garage which runs our very old spare fridge (the one I keep all the frozen Q in). I usually keep it pretty cold - fridge runs just above 32, freezer close to 0. When I discovered it this AM, fridge was about 50 degrees and freezer 42. No idea how long it was off. (Ice cream was not completely melted - liquidy around the edges of the container and soft but not liquid in the center) I'm not worried about the frozen meat, it was still frozen rock hard, just crammed it in the kitchen freezer. I'm not too sure about the frozen breaded shrimp and calamari that were in there - still a very few ice crystals, but they didn't really feel frozen - do I keep or should I toss them? Also had a Marie Calender's Coconut Cream Pie there. When I opened it, the cream topping was thawed, but the center of the pie was still partially frozen. Keep or toss? Now the expensive stuff...had a cryopac of baby backs and a fully cooked ham I bought yesterday in the fridge side. I have no idea how long they were above 40 degrees. Ribs felt colder to the touch than the ham when I moved them to the kitchen. What do you think? Should I go ahead and smoke the ribs? Will I be able to tell by taste if the ham is bad?

This is the first time I have had a fridge go out long enough effect the inside temps. I refroze the ice cream, will probably be an awful texture. Don't know if it can go bad. Sorry for the long post - this really freaked me out this morning having to deal with not losing the food and figuring out why upstairs bath, downstairs hall and bath and garage fridge had no electricity. Thanks for any input on this.


By the way, for any coconut cream pie fans, Marie C's are really great for a "store-bought" pie.

Mudgie
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FM Former Member
mudgie,
if the freezer was 42 on your thermo i would keep anything that was still hard (i am assuming that this is for home use. if it is for sale then i would bite the bullet and toss it all). the shrimp and squid i would toss for sure since you don't sound real sure of those.
the stuff in the reefer i would just toss while crying as 50f is just too scary to me.
here's the rule of thumb that chefs use "when in doubt,toss it out" i know it hurts to to but it has never failed me.
at least it wasn't a walk in freezer/reefer combo Eeker
jack
FM Former Member
Like Jack said, if you are selling any of this stuff, dont. Thats a definate health code no-no!

But if the shrimp still had some ice crystals on them and were still partially frozen, they are certainly safe for imediate consumption, just not refreezing.

I agree with the above 50 degrees thing in the frige. It just aint worth it.

BTW, It very well could have been that very old refrigerator's very old compressor going bad that caused the breaker to trip, so watch it close. Dont put much more than beverages in it for a few days to see how it acts. Fill a gallon jug with water and stick it in the freezer to test that it is pulling down to temp.
FM Former Member
Thanks for the replies. Yes, this is a just for home use fridge. Usually it only has beverages - sodas, water, apple juice, wine, beer but I use it for overflow when the kitchen one is too full hence the ribs and ham. This was going to be our first attempt at baby backs. Maybe this is an omen to stick to spares!

GeiyserQ, you may be right about it dying. The temp in the freezer is back down to 0 but not too much is happening on the refrigerator side. Might be time for a new one.

Thanks for the replies. I will go pitch out the iffy stuff. You are so right - better safe than sorry.

Mudgie (crying on the way to the garbage can)
FM Former Member
Jack, you are so right. Would not want to spend the night in the hospital. And yes, I hate wasting food. I was raised in a very frugal family but Mom was always extremely cautious about food safety.

Looks like we're going shopping for a new garage fridge tomorrow. I think this one is singing its swan song. Bought it in 1980, so I guess I got my money's worth.

Thanks, Mudgie
FM Former Member
mudgie,
just a thought but check your local paper under auctions. look for a resturant equpiment auction. a lot of times you can pick up a commercial unit cheap. as a point of reference if you do that a new artic air nsf certified 22 cu ft reefer (no freezer) goes for 895 new so around 250 should buy it ok at auction
jack
FM Former Member
A dedicated appliance such as a refrigerator or freezer does not have to be on GFCI circuit. Nuisance trips are certainly an issue to consider. It is permissble to instal a single receptacle(not a duplex)that is not GFCI protected for such an appliance. Might take some rewiring if receptacles are fed by a single GFCI receptacle or breaker in a daisy chain sequence. Check with your local electrician. Roger
FM Former Member
Mudge, I recently had the same thing happen. Lost about $150 worth of food in the garage fridge when the GFI tripped. I think mine tripped because we had a LOT of wet, rainy weather and an outlet outside on the back porch was connected to the circuit. Now I have a cheap nite lite plugged into the fridges outlet so I can SEE when the outlet has tripped.
FM Former Member
Well, it's official. The fridge died! After all night the refrigerator finally got below 40 degrees but now the freezer is in the forty-something range. (All the food is out of it) The controls seem to just divert more or less cold to one side or the other, but that is '80s technology for you. Only reason it is on a GFI outlet is because that is the only one for miles around in the garage, but may consider rewiring when we have some other stuff done with an electrician - thanks for the idea, Roger. Also will try the nightlight. Don't need to throw out any more good food. Sorry to hear that I am not alone in this loss, ninetyproof.

Off to the appliance place....

Thanks for all the support and good ideas.

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