Adriana Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Our fridge probably won't be used for the next 6 months or so. I always switched it off, but someone recently told me that it is better to leave the fridge on at a very low temperature. I am concerned about the fridge short circuiting or something like that when we are not there. Any advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Some insurers insist on electricity being switched off when the house is unoccupied for a period of time. Though that would rather negate having a burglar alarm or security lights of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 If the power goes off so will your fridge, and if the circuit trips as well it won't come back on - both common occurances in the countryside. So when you get back you will be faced with a nice mould covered inside to the fridge.[+o(] So switch it off and leave the door slightly open so that the surfaces do not attract condensation and mould. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Electrically the fridge should come to no harm if left switched off, ours doesn't and we are at least six months between visits. What you must do is comprehensively clean it and leave the door open, this avoids any possibility of mildew which will be impossible to remove and will taint any food afterwards. Ditto with freezers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adriana Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 Ok, thanks. You seem to agree: switch off, clean, leave door ajar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 We stored a fridge for about 18 months in a shed, switched off, door wedged slightly open. It was fine. (Just off now to touch some wood). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie15 Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 I actually had my "help save our planet " hat on when we left this week so for the first time ever I switched some of the fridges off-yes, I did wash them out first[:)] I left a freezer on cos it's got stuff in it and I left some wine and water ( sounds a bit Biblical ) in another fridge for when we go back but really I think I should have washed that fridge out too and turned it off- maybe next year ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esperaza Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 The potential problem with leaving a freezer on during your absence is, that if a long power outage occurs, the food could defrost, then freeze again when power restores.You may never know of the risk to health that this could provide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 I read that a way to monitor what your freezer did while you were away is to leave a box of icecubes in the freezer. If they're transformed into one solid block on your return you can assume the freezer has been off for a time and that you need to find out how long and make a decision as to what you do with your freezer contents. If the freezer was off long enough for the ice cubes to melt...[Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 It is also worth mentioning that some fridge freezers will turn off the compressor when the ambient temperature drops to around 4°C. Which means your freezer will defrost. It seems a silly design concept to me and certainly not one that you would want to include in an unheated (over winter) secondary home, but the first you are likely to know about it is when you arrive at Christmas to find the Freezer at room temperature (cold room temperature that is, but not cold enough by a long way).[:@] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chauffour Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 i always leave in the fridge a cup with a few pieces of charcoal, apparently it absorbs bad odours. Andyh4, do you live in Frankfurt? i was there for 18 months in early 90s... i was living near palmengarden.do you know cono cimino italian restaurant? we spent long evenings there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanche Neige Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 " i always leave in the fridge a cup with a few pieces of charcoal, apparently it absorbs bad odours." bicarbonate of soda is also good for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 [quote user="Chauffour"]Andyh4, do you live in Frankfurt? i was there for 18 months in early 90s... i was living near palmengarden.do you know cono cimino italian restaurant? we spent long evenings there... [/quote] Not currently. I work there and do a 100km commute every day. So I know very little about the area of Frankfurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montagrier Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 In Bourdiellies a person I know had his fridge caught fire ...just out of the blue. Luckily he was there to deal with it.. That first bit doesnt seem very english....but I know you can work out what I mean.monti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MargaretD Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 You only have to be away from the house for a short week to realise that the freezer has been off then come back on. We had a lovely bag of ice cubes, which when we got back from a 5 day holiday was a solid mass! I have now left the fridge and small freezer empty, with the door propped open with a bottle of red wine. At least we'll have something to drink when we get back to France...M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blanche Neige Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 "........................I have now left the fridge and small freezer empty, with the door propped open with a bottle of red wine". Empty egg boxes work well and are much less likely to break![:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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