No Generator, No Power? No Problem...(fridge/freezer)

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Gazrok

A True Doomsday Prepper
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Hello all. I've stated this in other threads, but wanted to kind of organize my thoughts and experiences here for others' benefits. The following steps helped me immensely during our power outage of nearly 5 days, during and following Hurricane Irma. This thread is SPECIFICALLY for how to keep your food good during such an outage, even without a generator.

I will preface this by stating that our plan involved both a standard refrigerator, and a standing freezer (that I got off Craigslist for about $60 a few years ago). We didn't really have to throw any food away, even with such a long power outage.

BEFORE THE STORM:
1. Organize and clean out the fridge. You only want things in there that NEED to be in there. Anything else, is just taking up space for waste. This also has the benefit of knowing exactly where things are at in there, so when you do have to open the door, you won't take long.
2. Freeze at least a case (24) of bottled water in the standing freezer. Your goal is to fill the freezer as much as possible, taking up every inch of space you can. You want them frozen solid when you lose power. These should be on one shelf if you can do so, with the other frozen food packed close together.
3. Have a regular cooler. Stockpile it with your normal drinks (soda, juice, etc.) that don't have to be cool, but are just nice that way. Put some ice in the cooler. Use this for your drinks just before, during, and after the storm.
4. If a storm is imminent (you know it will hit your area), turn the fridge and freezer down to a cooler setting.

THE MOMENT POWER LOSS OCCURS:
1. Everyone in the house should grab about half the frozen bottles out of the freezer, and use them to fill in space around the food in the fridge. You want it to be as full as possible to best stay cool. Then, close the fridge, and keep it closed.
2. Grab some of the frozen water bottles from the freezer, and put them in the cooler, to help keep drinks cold.
3. Ensure everyone knows that the fridge and freezer should remain shut at all times, only being opened about twice per day, to make meals.

AFTER POWER LOSS:
1. Enforce the rule above, only opening twice per day.
2. When you do open it, grab some more of the frozen bottles to restock the fridge. Replace the thawed, but still cold water bottles, in the fridge, with the fresh still frozen ones. Put the cold bottles in the cooler. Can toss in a couple of frozen ones in the cooler too, if you like.
3. When you open the fridge, your goal should be to be in and out as quick as possible. Only open when you have itemized EXACTLY what you need to get out. Open it, get it all out quick, then close it back.
4. Limit use of refrigerated items to one meal per day. For the other meals (or at least one), use non-refrigerated foods. Peanut butter and jelly, for example, or we'd fire up the grill and cook some soup, canned veggies, etc. We have fresh eggs from our chickens too, that didn't need refrigeration, so that was nice in the mornings. (eggs are refrigerated in the US, but they don't have to be for weeks, in Europe, they'd think us weird for doing it). However, once in the fridge, they have to stay refrigerated. For dinner, we'd crack open the fridge or freezer, and get things out to grill, etc. This same time, is when we'd do step 2 above. (restocking the frozen bottles).

Hopefully, these tips will help you if you're in a storm hit area, and have this kind of issue, and don't have hundreds of dollars to buy a generator.

If you DO buy a generator, be sure to have at least a FEW 5 gallon gas cans onhand too, and FILL them up, days before the storm hits. In my experience, when in an area forecasted to see effects, stations will close about 3 days prior to the storm, from running out of gas. Sucks to have a $600 paperweight and no power.
 
As for generators, its ideal to have 2 of them and rotate them. The oil needs to be changed every 50-60 hours or so of operation, while one is running the other can cool and be refilled with fuel and also have the oil changed if needed. You dont need to run them continuesly either, I usually run one for 3-6 hours first thing in the morning, then a few ours break, then another 3-6 hours in the late afternoon untill after dinner. Then off all night for a quiet sleep. We use oil lamps, candles and rechargable battery flashlights at night when light is needed.

We do things very similer with the refrigerator and freezer.
 
with one though, the off time is when you'd change the oil, and let it rest, etc.

Unfortunately, in FL, during storm season, we'd likely have to have it on all night for the A/C during an outage. You just can't imagine how unbearable this is, when you are used to it (and you just can't sleep). I really didn't predict how big a factor this was, until without it.
 
As for generators, its ideal to have 2 of them and rotate them. The oil needs to be changed every 50-60 hours or so of operation, while one is running the other can cool and be refilled with fuel and also have the oil changed if needed. You dont need to run them continuesly either, I usually run one for 3-6 hours first thing in the morning, then a few ours break, then another 3-6 hours in the late afternoon untill after dinner. Then off all night for a quiet sleep. We use oil lamps, candles and rechargable battery flashlights at night when light is needed.

We do things very similer with the refrigerator and freezer.
I agree with you about having a backup generator, especially if your going with a "consumer" quality gas/propane unit. My diesel generators require an oil change at 500 hours. I could of opted for a deep sump oil pan that would extend the oil change out to 1,000 hours. My main generator is in a building that also houses the solar inverter, battery bank, work area and 55 gallon fuel tank. The building is well insulated and the generator has 2 mufflers, with the end of the exhaust extending above the roof line. The building is less than 50 from the cabin and I can't hear it running from inside. Most commercial quality generators run at 1,800 RPM vs 3,600 RPM for consumer generators. That reduces the noise level considerably.
Last winter I ran my trailer off of a 6.5 kw Honda gas unit. I was filling it with gas at least once a day, and I had 5 gallon gas cans all over the place. The cost of operating that generator was outrageous, plus I had to change oil at least once a week. Now I have a 60 gallon transfer tank in the back of my truck and only fill it with fuel once a month. Currently I run the generator in the morning for about 3 hours and again in the evening for about 6 hours. Once the solar panels are connected the generator shouldn't be needed nearly as much.
 
with one though, the off time is when you'd change the oil, and let it rest, etc.

Unfortunately, in FL, during storm season, we'd likely have to have it on all night for the A/C during an outage. You just can't imagine how unbearable this is, when you are used to it (and you just can't sleep). I really didn't predict how big a factor this was, until without it.

I agree, it's almost impossible to sleep in 90°+ heat and 90% humidity without a generator for the air conditioning. I went through this during the last hurricaine.

I never lost water pressure, so taking a lot of showers helped...although I was careful (or paranoid...depending upon your point of view) not to get shower water in my mouth since the water quality was an unknown.
 
In central and south America many areas the humidity was very high and in many parts of Africa and was uncomfortable though a lot younger, today I'm comfortable working outside between 55-65 degrees generally in a short sleeve shirt, when it gets 85 at 60-70 humidity I want to quit and go back out after the sun sets which I have many times. At my age today living in Florida with the heat and high humidity without AC I would probably die. 55-65 is perfect temps for me.
 
Currently, we lose water when we lose power. I really want to change that. But it's not cheap.
 
Currently, we lose water when we lose power. I really want to change that. But it's not cheap.

For $500-600 or cheaper gets ya 220 gen set with 6500 peak watts (depending on pump) and setup a manual transfer switch or direct plug but then you need to manually turn the breaker off from the line feed. If the well house breaker is in your home panel? you can use the same generator for both the well and AC just not at the same time. If you haven't already purchased a generator pay an extra $100 for one with 220 that way you can pull double duty without have to by two generators or just wheel it back and fourth.

We have on sale here now at our local co-op for $499 a Briggs 7kw (peak) with 220v but it's only gas not a hybrid :-/ still not that cheap though.
 
I’m keeping an eye on one at Costco. 7kw/9kw peak dual fuel with electric start for $800, BUT they had them a few months ago for $500. It’ll come back I bet....
 
Yep, but $500 to me right now is not cheap...lol.

It's a thought though. We could just switch power from the genny to the pump as needed. Probably just a couple of times per day, in an emergency situation. We'd mostly need running water in the morning to water the animals, then at night to water them again, and do cooking, cleaning, showers, etc.

That could work. And just have the A/C off during those times.
 
Yep, but $500 to me right now is not cheap...lol.

It's a thought though. We could just switch power from the genny to the pump as needed. Probably just a couple of times per day, in an emergency situation. We'd mostly need running water in the morning to water the animals, then at night to water them again, and do cooking, cleaning, showers, etc.

That could work. And just have the A/C off during those times.
It's be easy enough to wire the generator to a panel and just have a couple of switches, one to the well pump and one for the house/AC.
 
Yep, but $500 to me right now is not cheap...lol.

It's a thought though. We could just switch power from the genny to the pump as needed. Probably just a couple of times per day, in an emergency situation. We'd mostly need running water in the morning to water the animals, then at night to water them again, and do cooking, cleaning, showers, etc.

That could work. And just have the A/C off during those times.
It's be easy enough to wire the generator to a panel and just have a couple of switches, one to the well pump and one for the house/AC.
 
Maybe, I just don't trust my own electric skills enough to risk it. ;)
 

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