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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 USA guide

Short answer

Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed and note the time cooling stopped. If the refrigerator has been without power for about 4 hours, or the appliance is failing and food is already warming, move refrigerated perishables to a cooler with ice or another safe cold source.

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 counter.
  • Don’t refreeze food that fully thawed unless you can confirm it still has ice crystals or stayed at 40°F (4°C) or below.
  • Don’t rely on smell or appearance alone.
  • Don’t put raw meat, poultry, or seafood where it can leak onto ready-to-eat food.

What to do now

  1. Close the doors and write down the time. Note when the cooling stopped, when the power went out, or when you first found the food thawing.
  2. Work out whether this is a power outage or appliance failure. Check nearby lights, another outlet, the breaker panel, and whether other appliances have power.
  3. If the power is out and it has been under about 4 hours, keep the refrigerator and freezer closed. Do not unload the freezer or repeatedly check individual items.
  4. If the power is out and it may reach about 4 hours, move refrigerated perishables to a cooler if you can. Prioritise meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, milk, cut fruit and vegetables, cooked leftovers, and soft dairy. Add ice, frozen gel packs, or another cold source to keep them at 40°F (4°C) or below.
  5. If the appliance has failed while power is on, move the highest-risk refrigerated foods first. Do one quick opening, transfer perishables to a cooler with plenty of ice, and keep raw foods sealed and separate from ready-to-eat foods.
  6. Use temperatures if you have a thermometer. A refrigerator should be at 40°F (4°C) or below. A freezer should be at 0°F (-18°C) or below for normal storage.
  7. Triage the freezer without unpacking it. A full unopened freezer generally holds a safe temperature for about 48 hours; a half-full unopened freezer generally holds it for about 24 hours.
  8. Check thawed frozen food conservatively. Frozen food can generally be refrozen or cooked if it still has ice crystals or is at 40°F (4°C) or below, though quality may be worse.
  9. Discard refrigerated perishables if they were without power or a cold source for about 4 hours. This includes meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cut produce, and leftovers.
  10. If you rent, report the appliance failure right away. Use your landlord or property manager’s maintenance or emergency route and document the report by text, email, or portal if possible.
  11. If you have medicines that require refrigeration, check the label and call for advice if they warmed. Keep them with a suitable cold source if available, do not freeze them unless the label says to, and contact your pharmacist, healthcare provider, or the manufacturer if you are concerned about safety or effectiveness.

What can wait

  • You do not need to inventory every item right now; focus on high-risk refrigerated foods and anything already thawing.
  • You do not need to clean, defrost, or deep-scrub the appliance immediately.
  • You do not need to decide on repair, replacement, reimbursement, or insurance right now.
  • You do not need to decide what to do with shelf-stable foods unless they were contaminated by leaks, spills, floodwater, or spoiled food.

Important reassurance

The main risk is eating perishable food that warmed too long, not making a perfect decision about every item. Closing the doors, using a cooler and ice when needed, separating raw foods, and discarding uncertain high-risk foods are enough for the first safe steps.

Scope note

These are first steps to reduce foodborne-illness risk and buy time. Later decisions about repair, replacement, cleaning, claims, or landlord responsibilities may need specialist help.

Important note

This is general information, not medical, legal, financial, therapeutic, or other professional advice. Food safety depends on time and temperature. When you cannot confirm that high-risk food stayed cold enough, it is safer to discard it; for medicine storage concerns, follow advice from a pharmacist, healthcare provider, or the manufacturer.

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.

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