Freezer Trick / Tip (really, really, clever too!)

Did you ever wonder if your freezer is working properly? Did you ever wonder if your freezer stayed working while you were on vacation or away? Maybe the power went off, but for how long? Did the food thaw...and then refreeze?

We have numerous freezers full of meat (cattle business and all). I often worry that if I don't check them every day if one were to shut off or break and we didn't know it hundreds of pounds of meat and frozen foods could be lost. Now if they quit working completely that would be pretty obvious, but what if they started working only intermittently?

Well, here's a clever trick which solves this problem and addresses all the other concerns also. I read this tip on another forum and thought I'd share.

Take a plastic cup / jar and fill it with water, something that won't break. Freeze the vessel solid in the freezer. Then place a coin such as a quarter on top of the frozen water. Set the vessel with the coin back in the freezer in an upright position.

Now just periodically check the vessel and ensure the coin is still on top. If the coin is partially down in the frozen liquid, your freezer (and your food) partially thawed at some point and refroze. If the coin is at the bottom, your freezer (and food) completely thawed and refroze.

If your jar is liquid when you open your freezer, and the coin is at the bottom...grab your nose QUICK!!

Pretty slick!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

thats pretty damn cool actually. I will get right to it!

I usually find a great big freaking puddle just outside the freezer door if it has thawed.

I usually end up in bed for five days if it has partially thawed.

By the time I noticed the coin trick, I would have been on my third visit to my sanctuary.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Sometimes someone points out something so obvious that you wonder why you never thought of it yourself.

This is one of those times.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Nice one!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

dbl

Very cool idea, never thought of it in my life.

Thanks for the tip OP

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Truly genius. Thank you. Doing it now.

Another trick is take a bag of flash frozen vegetables place it in your freezer and if the vegetables thaw at all you will notice they will refreeze in a big clump rather than individually frozen.reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Why the coin?

Freeze the water in the cup, Mark the level with a pen, place cup upside down in freezer.

Otherwise someone will just pinch the coin and you won't know where it is.

Or, am I missing something?

Love your threads mate!

P

a reply to: pheonix358

Well. With any thaw, an upturned cup will just drop the coin, or the water.

This system works better.

i've always just looked at the popscicles. If they are deformed, something negative may have went down. The amount of deformation indicates the amount of thaw.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

That's great....thanks for sharing....

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Ummm...well, what if you don't have popsicles????

Personally, I never eat the things!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

First, i had 2 sons and their friends. Now, its my 4 year old nephew. Living in the desert, popscicles are something that you just tend to keep around.

Especially on low carb.

But...similar concept: use liquid and solid to measure melt.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I won't espouse any notions other than, I know of living in the desert. I grew up there. The high desert in Wyoming.

it's a hard place.

I will say no more.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

*cough*wireless thermometer*cough*

a reply to: Chadwickus

Have you ever seen -39F, and had to work outside all day in it? (for weeks and months at a time)

I have.

Note: it's funny; if your freezer is going to screw up, it's when it's cold outside. Some of our freezers are outside in the garage (or barn). Sometimes it gets cold here in CO (not like WY when I was growing up, but still cold). When it gets cold the freezers just don't "understand". It's so cold outside they just start to thaw out; the whole 'heat rejection' thing starts working in reverse.. Have you ever seen it? ... I have.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I've been trying to figure out a way that doesn't involve anything too complex, unwieldy or costly. This is as simple, compact and inexpensive ($0.25) as possible! And timely as we will be out of town for a few days coming up!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I live in Australia lol

So no. I've never even seen snow before!