Subj : Re: the stores all take a
To   : KURT WEISKE
From : Rob Mccart
Date : Fri Jan 16 2026 07:28 am

RM> I got through that okay, and then at 7pm tonight my power
RM> went out for 5 1/2 hours

KW>It seemed to me that refrigerators used to be good, unpowered, for
  >around 12-14 hours if you didn't open it during a power outage. My new
  >fridge manual says 4 hours for the fridge, 12-14 hours for the freezer.

If it drops to 50f in the house the fridge will last longer..   B)

I assume you mean the freezer in the fridge?. If it's a simpler
fridge the cold in the freezer would be bleeding down into the
fridge below and I'd think the fridge should be okay a lot longer
than the freezer compartment.

I had the power go off for 27 hours last early winter and I was able
to keep it up to about 60f during the day and it would drop to
the high 40's at night, and I didn't have any problem with most of
the stuff in the fridge.

The biggest problem when it gets cold in the house even if you have
power is the fridge won't run often enough to keep the freezer
working right. Stuff in the fridge is fine but, i.e. the ice cream
in the freezer melts..

In cool but above freezing weather (50f?) I've had a Chest freezer
last for 3 days..  As you said, just don't open them..

KW>We live in an area prone to falling trees, and have had our share of
  >outages. I've resorted to running an inverter off of my car, running an
  >extension cord from the carport to my kitchen, and running the fridge
  >every couple of hours. The nice thing is that our new hot water heater
  >is tankless, and I can run it off the same inverter - the electonics
  >need power, but the heating is all gas.

In winter I can't get my car within 150 feet of the house, but I
would wonder how much power you could get out of it. My car actually
has a 110 volt outlet in it, but I doubt it could run anything of
higher draw than electronic devices (Yes.. maximum 150 watts).
I have a 300 watt inverter with my tools but, looking at my fridge,
it would just *barely* run on that but it draws 400 watts starting
up and it may not handle that..

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 * SLMR Rob  * Chicken Little only has to be right once
 * Origin: Capitol City Online (1:2320/105)

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