PanicStation.org
UK USA
uk Home & property emergencies

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

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Keep the fridge and freezer doors shut and note the time you first noticed the problem. If it is a wider power cut, a closed fridge should usually stay cold for up to 4 hours; if the appliance has failed while the home still has power, move the most perishable chilled foods into a cool box with ice packs as soon as you can do it in one quick opening.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t keep opening the doors to check.
  • Don’t taste food to judge whether it is safe.
  • Don’t leave thawing meat, fish, poultry, dairy, cooked food, or ready-to-eat chilled food on the worktop.
  • Don’t refreeze food that has fully defrosted unless it has been cooked safely first.
  • Don’t put hot or warm food into a fridge or freezer that is already struggling.
  • Don’t use food for someone at higher risk of food poisoning if you are unsure how warm it got.

What to do now

  1. Close the doors and mark the time. Write down when you first noticed the fridge or freezer was warming, or when the power went off.
  2. Work out which problem you have.
    • Power cut: other lights or sockets are out, neighbours may also be affected, or the consumer unit has tripped.
    • Appliance failure: the home has power, but the fridge or freezer is not cooling, is silent when it usually runs, is making unusual noises, or shows a fault warning.
  3. If it is a wider power cut, keep the doors closed. Report or track the power cut online through your electricity network operator if you can. If you cannot do that, call 105 free from a mobile or landline in England, Wales or Scotland.
  4. If it is a power cut and it has been under 4 hours, do not start unpacking. A closed fridge should usually stay cold for up to 4 hours, and moving food around can make it warm faster.
  5. If the appliance itself has failed while power is on, move the highest-risk chilled foods first. Open the door once, work quickly, and put these into a cool box or insulated bag with ice packs:
    • raw or cooked meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish
    • leftovers and cooked rice or pasta
    • milk, soft cheese, cream, and other dairy that must be chilled
    • sandwiches, salads, deli meats, and ready-to-eat chilled food with a use-by date
  6. Keep raw food sealed and separate. Put raw meat, poultry, and fish in sealed containers or bags so they cannot drip onto ready-to-eat food.
  7. Use a thermometer if you have one.
    • In normal use, a fridge should be between 0°C and 5°C.
    • During a power cut, chilled food can usually stay in the fridge while it remains under 8°C.
    • If food that needs refrigeration has been at 8°C or above for more than 4 hours, discard it.
    • If you do not know how long high-risk chilled food has been warm, discard it.
  8. Do freezer triage without unpacking it.
    • Keep the freezer door shut.
    • A full freezer may keep food frozen for up to 48 hours if kept closed.
    • A half-full freezer may keep food frozen for about 24 hours if kept closed.
    • If food is still hard frozen, leave it in the closed freezer.
    • If high-risk food has fully thawed and you do not know whether it stayed cold, discard it.
  9. Use the outdoors only if conditions are suitable. If it is 8°C or lower outside, you can store chilled food outside only in a sealed container, out of direct sunlight, in clean dry conditions, and protected from animals.
  10. If you rent or live in managed accommodation, report the fault now. Use the landlord, agent, building manager, or repairs route and keep a dated message or email record.
  11. If you have medicines that must be kept refrigerated, keep them in the closed fridge for now. Check the packaging or patient leaflet. If you think they may have warmed, ask a pharmacist or NHS 111 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; deal with high-risk chilled foods and anything already thawing first.
  • You do not need to deep-clean or defrost the appliance right now.
  • You do not need to decide whether the appliance is repairable until the food and medicine safety steps are stable.

Important reassurance

This is a common household emergency, and the biggest preventable risks are repeated door-opening and eating high-risk food after it has warmed for too long. Closing the doors, moving only the most perishable food, and discarding uncertain high-risk items is enough for the first safe pause.

Scope note

These are first steps only: stabilise temperatures, reduce food-poisoning risk, and buy time. Later decisions about repair, replacement, cleaning, landlord action, insurance, or food replacement may need specialist help.

Important note

This is general information, not medical, legal, financial, therapeutic, or professional advice. Food safety depends on time, temperature, appliance condition, room temperature, packaging, and the type of food. If you are unsure whether high-risk food is safe, it is safer to discard it; for refrigerated medicines, follow pharmacist or NHS advice.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

Support us