I was talking to a friend tonight after her and her husband returned from a ten day cruise and thought I would pass along a tip that might be useful. She indicated that while they were gone their electricity apparently went out because the alarm clock on their nightstand was blinking 12:00am. She was worried about the food in the refrigerator and freezer because she did not know if the electricity was off for just a few seconds or if it was off for days and then back on since they knew some storms came through during that time. They live in a rural area so they couldn't just ask a neighbor. She was upset that she chose to just throw out all the food rather take a chance of getting her and her husband sick.

So here is a tip that you can do before you go out of town to tell if the refrigerator has been off for a long period of time. Before you leave, just take a few ice cubes and place them in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer. If the electricity has been off long enough to affect the food, you can tell that they had been melted.

Kent Keith

Fort Worth Home Inspector

www.fortworthinspector.com