3 Ways to Prevent Accidental Freezer Thawing
I’ve heard about freezers being left open and the contents thawing. Friends have lost hundreds of dollars of groceries when that’s happened to them. Accidental thawing was one of our considerations when we bought our chest freezer. In theory, the door/lid can’t really be left open by accident, thus reducing our risk of an accidental thaw.
However, it wasn’t until the power failed to reach my freezer that I realized how vulnerable my freezer stash was to thaw and loss.
The idea of losing all the time, money, and food invested there is sobering at the least.
So, what do you do to prevent accidental thawing?
Most people I’ve talked to have experienced freezer loss because the door didn’t shut properly. This is often blamed on the kids, but I’m not sure that’s always the case. Either way, there are things that you can do to safeguard the contents of your freezer.
1. Use the key.
Most freezers come with a lock and key. Use it. If you’re locking your deep freeze each time you close it, you’ll know that it has closed and sealed properly. You’ll also hamper unauthorized young children from digging around for popsicles.
2. Check the freezer door cam.
My husband is pretty handy with tools and machinery. He’s done all kinds of maintenance to our refrigerator/freezer doors over the years and saved a chunk of money. The fridge part that has been replaced more than once is the door cam, the piece that makes the door want to shut.
If the door cam wears out on your fridge or freezer door, it will stay ajar or take extra effort to get it to shut. A few bucks and a little elbow grease will assure that your door shuts properly when you ask it to. It won’t just pop open willy-nilly after you think you’ve shut it.
3. Get a freezer alarm.
Closed doors can’t do much against power or machine failure. Your freezer may die just because.
If you have a freezer alarm, you’ll get a warning that things are getting too hot in the freezer. Ours is a simple sensor with a loud blaring beep, but newer freezer alarms will tell you the temperature as well as sound when things are heating up. You’ll have time to troubleshoot the issue before you lose your frozen assets.
When we use our freezers to their maximum potential, we put a lot of stock in them, both literally and figuratively. An accidental thaw can decimate your budget — and your peace of mind. It is worth protecting your investment.