How Dry Ice Can Help During a Power Outage
Are you worried about losing your food during a long power outage? With these tips using dry ice, your food will be saved.
With the warmer weather finally coming this also means that thunderstorms and hurricane season is upon us as well. Although not all storms are that serious, there is always a concern about your power being knocked out for some time. In the event of a power outage that lasts for an extended amount of time here are some uses of dry ice to help you keep your food safe.
Lengthy Power Outages
If your power does come on in a few hours, you don’t have to deal with the hassle of using dry ice. To save your food in both your refrigerator and freezer is to keep the door closed at all costs. The food that is stored in your freezer will be fine, the fuller it is, the better because the frozen food will stay frozen for up to 6 to 12 hours depending on the type of freezer you have. On a hot summer day, your food in your fridge is more susceptible to rotting because of the weather. Every hour after the first you lose a day of time off of the expiration date. Though if you lose power in the winter, your food won’t be as affected because your home will be cooler.
Keep Your Fridge Cool
When you know your power will be out for an extended time you will need slabs of dry ice. Every 12 to 24 hour period without power place a 10-pound slab of dry ice on the bottom shelf of your fridge. Make sure that on the shelf you place a newspaper or some other insulating layer between the ice itself and the shelf. Placing that insulating layer down will help keep the shelf from cracking. Of course when handling dry ice take the necessary safety precautions such as wearing gloves to hold it. Also, keep in mind that anything near the dry ice may freeze and any open cartons of milk or orange juice will become carbonated because of the dry ice emitting CO2.
Keep Your Freezer Chilled
To get the best use of dry ice in a power outage situation is to use for your freezer. The amount of dry ice you will need to keep your food frozen will depend on what type of freezer you own. A freezer about the fridge you’ll need 20-30 pounds, while one below your fridge will only require 15-25 pounds depending on the size of it. A side by side freezer requires 30-40 pounds, and the slabs should be placed on top of the food; if the food is residing on shelves start at the top. Finally, if you have a chest freezer, this will require the most dry ice, and you will need 40-50 pounds to keep everything chill and frozen.
Dry Ice for All of Your Needs
Dry Ice Corp is the largest regional supplier of dry ice and related products in the Northeastern United States. Our dry ice is fresh and delivered right to your doorstep. We are happy to help you determine the best way to ship your goods, whether you have a huge amount of cookies or a single pie, and help you select the perfect amount of dry ice for the job. Give us a call at (201) 767-3200 or contact us online for a quote. To connect with us online, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
