After a power outage, deal with the food first and the refrigerator second. The goal is to avoid illness from food held too warm, and then to give the appliance a clean restart.
The food
- Keep doors closed during the outage. A closed refrigerator holds cold longer than people expect.
- When power returns, check the temperature with a thermometer. Refrigerated food should be at or below 40 degrees.
- Discard milk, meat, fish, cooked leftovers and cut produce that spent a long time above that temperature. When in doubt, throw it out.
- Freezer food with ice crystals still present can usually be kept, but do not refreeze items that thawed completely.
The restart
- Wait a few minutes before reconnecting if the power flickered, since quick on-and-off cycles stress the compressor.
- Check that the display lights and the fans start.
- Do not set the temperature colder to hurry recovery; give it several hours.
- Use a surge protector rated for refrigerators, or have an electrician check the outlet.
Risks
Storm surges can damage the control board even when the refrigerator seems to restart. A unit that clicks on and off, shows a blank display, or runs warm for a day needs inspection. If the outage came with flooding, do not use the refrigerator at all until an electrician has checked the outlet.
The outage may have also loosened the water line or shifted the unit, so check the floor behind it for moisture.
After a storm, a refrigerator that acts oddly can be checked for surge damage. Use the refrigerator repair page to request a window; the service area page lists our Houston-region counties, and you get the quote in writing with a 30-day warranty on the repair.