How do we know our freezer hasn't been off while we're away?

[Pas delle yeux Rhône qua nous]

We've been thinking of leaving a freezer full of food at our Maison Secondaire. However, there is alway the worry that a power cut or malfunction may have left the freezer off for an indeterminate period of time when we haven't been there. If it defrosted completely and started up again how would we know? Is there some sort of freezer monitor/alarm that it available?

 

Nick

[Dick Smith]

You would probably know by the food in the freezer being rotten!

Failing that, a max-min thermometer would tell you what the highest and lowest temperatures had been.

[Pas delle yeux Rhône qua nous]

Thanks, Dick, that was the quickest reply I've ever had! Less than 40 seconds....

I'm sure you can tell if the food is truly rotten, but not if it had refrozen again and was not obviously rank but enough to give you food poisoning.

 

Paranoid Nick

[Anton Redman]

It is very unlikely that you will have a power cut longer than three days. Therefore provided the door to the freezer is kept shut it will not thaw. I

If the disjointer trips it will not untrip the it will not untrip so freezer contents will be thawed.

If you put an analogue min max thermometer in the fridge and it gets up to 3 degrees then I would dump the food.

[Dick Smith]

I wouldn't expect you to test this (!) but I think, except for fish, the freeze - don't refreeze thing is a bit overstated. I wouldn't refreeze something which had been out in the sun for a day, but kept cold (and as Anton says it won't get warm in a freezer inside a few days) it might be ok.

On further thought I am sure that Lakeland Plastics or someone similar must make a max-min.

They don't, but these people do:

http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/pages/moreinfoa.asp?pe=JCBGJHQ_+digital+fridge+freezer+max+min&cid=880

But it will cost you €26!

[michelin79]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]I wouldn't expect you to test this (!) but I think, except for fish, the freeze - don't refreeze thing is a bit overstated.[/quote]

I happen to agree that it's a bit overstated but why do you think that it's different for fish?

Mike

[Dick Smith]

First of all I don't like frozen fish (except maybe for salmon) so I have a general prejudice, but it seems to me that when defrosted it is already starting to smell a bit rank. I like fish fresh enough to eat raw, and it never smells wholesome. I don't have the same problem with meat.

[0zeb100ddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue]

Hello

You will know if there have been several defrost-freeze situations as you lay in great pain prior to turning your toes up.

Have a nice weekend

Regards

[Ron Avery]

You would know that your food had thawed by  the ice on the outside of the packets, and any ice cream would be a funny colour and texture. Anyway why should you have an extended power cut?  Have you had power cuts while you have been here?  Unless your supply is iffy, I would have no woriries with a freezer..

[P]

Also plug into the socket a cheap electric clock and set the time correct. Now, if the power is cut, the clock will stop and will restart from the time at which it had stopped.

On your next visit, cheap whether the time on the clock is correct then there has not been a power cut (unless it was cut for exactly 12 or 24 hours etc). Provided the time was not cut for longer than 12 hours, the time difference will be the length of the cut.

[Coral]

Freeze a half full bottle of water with a lid that screws on tight.  When frozen solid turn it upside down.  When you return you'll be able to  see whether  there has been a 'melt down' .  Cheaper than buying a plug in clock! 

Coral  - nearly in Ariege

[darnsarf]

Place an ice cube in a small plastic storage jar in the freezer. When you re-visit, open the freezer and look at the ice cube. If it is still 'ice cube' shaped, the freezer hasn't de-frosted while you've been away. If it's frozen but fills the base of the storage jar, then you know it has thawed, at least once. Hope this helps..