How Dry Ice Can Help Your Family During a Power Outage
In the event of an emergency power outage, one of the many uses of dry ice will be to keep your food safe.
With Halloween behind us, winter is on its way. For the kids, and the kids at heart, this happy thought is accompanied by the hope of many snow days. But for many of us, that is undeniably linked to the question, “What if we lose power?” In the event of an emergency power outage, one of the many uses of dry ice will be to keep your food safe.
Extended Power Outages
If you only expect the power to be out for a few hours, it is not worth the time and hassle to use dry ice for your refrigerator or freezer. The best thing to do in these situations is to leave the door closed as much as possible. For the freezer, the more full it is, the better – because all that frozen stuff will keep itself frozen for up to 6 hours (refrigerator freezer) or 12 hours (chest freezer). Generally, for every hour after the first that a fridge is off on a hot summer day, you lose a day of time off of the expected storage life. In the winter, when your home is likely cooler, this would be less drastic.
Keep Your Fridge Cool
For each 12 to 24 hour period, you will need a 10-pound slab of dry ice to keep your refrigerator cool. The dry ice should be placed on the bottom shelf, but make sure there is a newspaper or some other insulating layer between the dry ice and the shelf to keep it from cracking. Use safety precautions, like wearing gloves to handle the dry ice. Remember that things near your dry ice may freeze, and any open containers will become carbonated by the sublimation of CO2.
Keeping Your Freezer Chilled
The freezer is where dry ice works best, since things are already frozen, but the amount you will need ultimately depends on your type of freezer. A freezer above a fridge will require 20-30 pounds, while one below a refrigerator will need only 15-25, depending on size. A side-by-side freezer will need 30-40 pounds, and you should place the slabs on top of the food on the shelves, starting at the top. A chest freezer will need 40-50 pounds.
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, Google+,Pinterest, and Twitter.
FOLLOW ALL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS WHEN TRANSPORTING, USING OR STORING DRY ICE! DRY ICE IS HARMFUL IF EATEN OR SWALLOWED! IF INGESTED, SEEK MEDICAL HELP IMMEDIATELY! NEVER PUT DRY ICE INTO ANY FOOD, DRINKS OR LIQUIDS THAT MIGHT BE INGESTED BY HUMANS OR ANIMALS!
