Power outages during a disaster can be nerve-wracking. Imagine your freezer full of nutritious food suddenly at risk, along with the money you invested in stocking it. As a prepared parent, you know keeping your family safe includes keeping their food fresh. This article will equip you with a plan to create a quiet backup power system for your freezer, ensuring peace of mind and a steady supply of healthy meals – no matter the emergency.
Some of the links in this post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases without any increase in price to you.
Many people who conscientiously prepare their family for disasters find the biggest challenge to be assembling and maintaining a nutritious and varied menu of storable food. In addition to long-term items like freeze-dried food (which can include proteins), Meals Ready-to-Eat (MRE''s), and meal-stretching dry staples like rice and beans, one additional store of high-energy and nutrient-dense foods is a freezer containing various meats.
But while you may stock a freezer with meat in case of emergencies, the power grid may be affected by the disaster, and suddenly you find yourself with the prospect of thawing meat and no power to cook the meat if you needed to. This article will give you a plan to maintain power for your valuable cache of meat in the event the lights go out.
We''re going to talk about two main ways of providing quiet backup power to your freezer: a battery-charger-inverter setup, and an all-in-one portable power station. In addition to what I''m explaining here, there are hundreds of online videos and web pages that will help you build your system. At the end of the day, it''s not that difficult and you can spread the cost of buying individual components over several months if needed.
This quiet backup power system works as follows:
This backup power setup maintains your frozen food quietly, which in an extended crisis won''t attract potential predators with the loud noise of a portable generator. Here’s how to quickly build a quiet way to power your freezer if grid electricity is not available:
The exact manner you will assemble your system will depend on the the items you choose, so follow the instructions for the individual components of your system. That will tell you what wiring and fuses you''ll need to connect up the components.
You may already have what''s commonly called a portable power station. These combinations of a deep-cycle battery, charger, and inverter are packaged together, usually in a plastic case. Better versions of these power stations also have a "Transfer Switch," which monitors the state of your household power and will immediately switch to the power station''s battery power if the house power fails. And most power stations have some kind of visual screen or indicator lights to help you monitor the amount of power available.
While an integrated power supply offers a simpler way to ensure your freezer''s power supply, most power stations cannot add more capacity when needed. However, if you choose your power station carefully, with an eye to future expansion, you''ll find there are power stations that can be accessorized with an additional battery and connecting cable or even a "parallel" cable that connects two identical power stations to provide higher-capacity outlets.
Last year, under blue skies and no disaster in sight, my power suddenly went out for 2 ½ days due to a failed underground electric cable. Talk about a real-world exercise of my preparedness! Fortunately I had several ways of providing power for both my freezer and refrigerator, and while I had to improvise a few things, I lost no food and kept outside lights on at night for security. If I had not had a way to power the freezer in this period, I would have lost hundreds of dollars worth of food.
The reason why it''s possible to assemble a backup source of power for your freezer is that freezers really don''t use a lot of power. Once the freezer chills things down to the desired temperature, the insulation efficiently keeps the food frozen with just an occasional run of the freezer''s compressor. My freezer is rated to use only $26 in electricity per year, and it cost me less than $200. When operating, it only uses 1.1 amps of power, which is a low level.
At a minimum, you need to understand:
First, preparing for emergencies is all about layers and your food stores should be no different. With a layered food storage approach, you avoid a single point of failure. If one source becomes compromised, you’ll still have options to keep your family healthy and well-fed no matter what storms come your way.
Second, in a disaster situation, there tends to be additional physical demands like filling sandbags, clearing debris, making emergency repairs, and even shoveling snow. Packed with animal meats and fish, your freezer becomes a treasure trove of protein-rich, high-energy meals – perfect for activities like these requiring a diet with lots of protein to maintain muscles and repair injuries.
You probably already have a refrigerator with a freezer in the kitchen, you may even have an old refrigerator in the garage to keep beer and sodas cold. But realistically you can''t keep your day-to-day food and your perishables set aside for preparedness in the same refrigerator, there''s just not enough room in most cases. Check out this article for advice on food storage
There''s also the issue of accidental thawing of food due to the refrigerator door not sealing properly. I''m sure we''ve all had the experience of closing the door and walking away, only to later discover the door cracked open due to catching on something inside. Kids especially can be careless with closing the door.
A separate freezer that is not regularly accessed allows a steady freezing temperature, mine has the thermostat set to "Normal" and keeps the contents right around 0 degrees F. I check it about once a week to make sure it''s working, and then only to add or rotate out meat that''s been around a while and replace it with new stock. This schedule drastically reduces the chance that the door won''t seal properly; also, the horizontal orientation of the door uses the weight of the door itself to help assure a tight seal.
There are a variety of ways to stock your freezer; like any other food preps, you can start slow and pick up a couple of things for the freezer when you normally shop for food. Or you can wait for a sale at a mail-order meat supplier for a quick partial fill of the freezer. Learn more about purchasing bulk meat from a farmer.
Emergencies can disrupt life, but your freezer, stocked with protein-rich food, can be a powerful ally. Choose one of these methods to create a backup power system, ensuring your frozen food stays safe. With a layered food storage plan, you’ll have peace of mind, knowing your family is prepared for anything. Act now to safeguard your freezer’s role in your disaster plan!
I don''t see any links. I read the article three times. I would have been happy to use your affiliate link if they were available.
Would this portable power station be fried in an EMP situation? Do you keep yours in a protected box when not in use(F something- sorry, I can’t remember the name)?
Hi Debbie. I personally don’t consider an EMP to be anywhere near the top 10 or 20 threats, so no, I don’t keep it stored in any particular way. (Note: by this, I mean an EMP event as depicted in One second after.) However, you could wrap it in aluminum foil, carefully seal all the edges of the foil with tape, and then store it in a Faraday container. Here’s a link with instructions: https://thesurvivalmom /protect-your-gear-from-emp/
I sure wish you would go back to your original icon, for your web site/persona.If I remember… it was a cartoon female holding some gardening implements, and a rifle!You should send me that icon in an email. 🙂
When I saw that… a few decades ago, I was hooked.
I don’t follow all your posts. But I do get your emails, and NO! I DON’T want to unfollow you!Trust me, I know how to unfollow. I’m older than the internet/email. 😉 (Not kidding, I remember the stupid snail mail AOL CD’s everywhere, and the days before free email. I paid $5/mo for years just to have an email address. Do you remember those days? hahah)
I like what you do, even if I don’t read everything.
About Battery backup for home freezer
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Battery backup for home freezer have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
When you're looking for the latest and most efficient Battery backup for home freezer for your PV project, our website offers a comprehensive selection of cutting-edge products designed to meet your specific requirements. Whether you're a renewable energy developer, utility company, or commercial enterprise looking to reduce your carbon footprint, we have the solutions to help you harness the full potential of solar energy.
By interacting with our online customer service, you'll gain a deep understanding of the various Battery backup for home freezer featured in our extensive catalog, such as high-efficiency storage batteries and intelligent energy management systems, and how they work together to provide a stable and reliable power supply for your PV projects.
Related Contents
