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uk Home & property emergencies fridge stopped cooling • freezer stopped freezing • food thawing in freezer • fridge not cold enough • freezer defrosting unexpectedly • power cut food in fridge • no electricity fridge warming • fridge warm food safe • freezer warm ice melting • food spoilage risk • milk meat left out fridge • what to do with thawed food • fridge breakdown emergency • freezer failure overnight • frozen food partially thawed • fridge thermometer 5c • freezer 24 48 hours estimate • power cut longer than 4 hours

What to do if…
your fridge or freezer stops cooling and food is thawing

Short answer

Keep the doors shut and note the time. If it’s a power cut, a closed fridge typically stays safe for about 4 hours; if the appliance has failed while power is on, move the most perishable foods into an iced cool box quickly.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t keep opening the doors “to check”.
  • Don’t taste food to judge safety.
  • Don’t leave thawing foods on the worktop.
  • Don’t refreeze food that has fully thawed if you can’t be confident it stayed cold (especially meat/fish/poultry, cooked dishes, dairy).
  • Don’t put warm food into the fridge/freezer while it’s struggling.

What to do now

  1. Shut the doors and set a timer. Write down when you first noticed the problem (or when the power went out).
  2. Work out which situation you’re in (this changes what to do next).
    • Power cut: other lights/sockets are out and/or your consumer unit has tripped.
    • Appliance failure: the house has power but the fridge/freezer isn’t cooling (or is making unusual noises / the compressor isn’t running).
  3. If it’s a power cut and it’s been under ~4 hours:
    Keep doors closed. Don’t start moving lots of food around yet unless something is already obviously thawing/warming.
  4. If it’s a power cut and it’s heading beyond ~4 hours (or you’re unsure):
    • Keep doors closed as much as possible.
    • If you have a cool box/cooler and plenty of ice/frozen packs, prepare it now so you can transfer perishables quickly.
  5. If it’s an appliance failure (power is on): move the highest-risk foods first (one quick opening).
    • Highest risk: raw/cooked meat, poultry, fish/shellfish; leftovers; cooked rice/pasta; dairy; ready-to-eat chilled foods with a use-by date.
    • Put these into a cool box with ice/frozen packs. Keep raw items sealed and separate from ready-to-eat foods.
  6. Use temperatures if you have them (best option).
    • In normal circumstances, fridges are generally kept at 5°C or below.
    • In a power cut, chilled food can often be kept safe while the fridge is under 8°C.
    • If the fridge reaches 8°C or above: prioritise eating high-risk chilled foods within about 4 hours; if you can’t keep them cold or you’re unsure how warm they got, discard the high-risk items.
  7. Freezer triage (don’t unpack it).
    • Keep the freezer door shut. As an estimate, a full freezer may keep food frozen for up to ~48 hours, and a half-full freezer for ~24 hours, if kept closed (these are estimates and vary).
    • If food is still hard frozen or has ice crystals, keep it in the freezer with the door shut.
    • If items are fully thawed and no longer cold, treat high-risk foods as unsafe unless you can chill and cook them safely straight away.
  8. If it’s cold outside (below ~8°C), you can use the outdoors to help (optional).
    • Store food outside only in clean, dry conditions, out of sunlight, in a sealed container protected from animals.
  9. If you rent or live in managed accommodation, report it immediately.
    • Use the landlord/agent/building manager repairs route and keep a record of when you reported it (message/email if possible).
  10. If you store medicines that must be refrigerated:
  • Keep them in the closed fridge for now.
  • If you think they warmed, ask a pharmacist for urgent advice before using them.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide what to replace or claim for right now.
  • You do not need to sort every item immediately — prioritise high-risk foods and anything already thawing.
  • You do not need to deep-clean or defrost the appliance right now.

Important reassurance

This is a common household problem, and most risk comes from repeated door-opening or eating food that warmed too long. If you keep doors closed, use ice/cool boxes for high-risk foods, and make conservative decisions when unsure, you’ll prevent the main harms.

Scope note

These are first steps only: stabilise temperatures, reduce food-poisoning risk, and buy time. Later you can decide what to salvage, how to clean up, and how to get repairs/replacement.

Important note

This is general information, not medical or legal advice. Food safety depends on time and temperature, which vary by appliance and room conditions. If you’re unsure whether a high-risk food is safe, it’s safer to discard it. For medicines, follow pharmacist advice.

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