Morning all. I have two large freezers sitting in 12" of water. We did empty and lift them up six inchers in an effort to save them but the water came up quite high. The freezers have had no power to them for two days.
Question: How long will the frozen meat hold for, there is two large cattle beasts in the freezers. Question: Once the water has gone down, if I dry the motor with a hair dryer will the motors work again. If not I will got to town today and buy two more freezers and set them up at mums house.
Thanks for your help. Also posted in General forum.
johotech,
Jun 22, 9:15pm
It should be possible to get the freezers working again. But it could take a bit more work than just a dry with a hairdryer. AS LONG as the insulation hasn't become full of water - if it has, it's probably stuffed.
As for the meat, it won't be frozen any more after 2 days so probably shouldn't be re-frozen. But it's probably chilled enough to be useable, as long as the water didn't get inside the freezer and contaminate the meat.
nonumbers,
Jun 22, 9:16pm
Insurance should pay out on your loss.
annies3,
Jun 22, 9:24pm
A full freezer of frozen meat should be still frozen you will soon know when testing so it should be fine as long as not contaminated, I wouldn't know regarding the repairing of the freezers.
anne1955,
Jun 22, 9:30pm
If you leave doors closed on the freezers they last quite a long time the thing being to not go opening them all the time the cold holds well in them had similar happen once. Is there no one you can use the freezers of? Friendly family and like also option would be ring the likes of Mr Rental or one of those places And get a short term rental for ones to put all be it in others house so you can empty them and keep stuff frozen. They aren't that expensive If you have insurance I would ring them and ask if they will cover the rental on freezers to save the contents, rather than have the insurance claim for all that is lost should they defrost totally. And if worse comes to worse it's time for a major cook up then re freeze cooked things might be able to save some of it. Local church hall etc might let you rent there hall kitchen to do big cook ups to save time.
3tomany,
Jun 22, 9:38pm
I had this happen to me, I rang the insurance company and they said weigh and take a full list of the meet, then dump it even if still frozen take no risks as meat will not last long even if the freezer is not opened. I think from memory they said after 36 hours dump it all. as for the freezers get new ones but ask insurance first.
ro42,
Jun 22, 9:39pm
when my freezer failed, I was told that if the meat still has ice on it it can be safely refrozen, even if it's started to thaw. If not, you need to cook it before re-freezing. I refroze some and it was fine - no-one died!
rainrain1,
Jun 22, 11:45pm
A freezer full of meat stays frozen for days if you don't open the lid
wenpen,
Jun 24, 10:54am
Thanks for all your reply's. Today the meat was still frozen, the water has gone from the shed and I dried the motors with a fan heater. Both freezers are working. Staggering as they were so water logged. I am still wondering how long they will go for so will buy a 700 ltr freezer in the next few days.
annies3,
Jun 24, 10:01pm
Well done, did any flood water enter the freezer compartment at all ?
anne1955,
Jun 24, 10:22pm
Great too read
tintop,
Jun 24, 11:27pm
Great that they are working - but there may be some electrical damage.
Dont touch unless they are switched off and unplugged, or connected via a RCD, or isolating transformer.
richms,
Dec 5, 4:53pm
Grotty water will have soaked into the foam. I would still be talking to the insurance about this. If you are claiming for other stuff there is no harm in adding the freezers to the claim.
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