How much/hours of power a day for freezer

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We have a large generator..40kw..which means that when we turn it on, we can heat/AC, hot water heater, washer/dryer/ well pump, TV, microwave, etc. All at the same time. However, we would like to keep our generator burn at two hours every other day. If I have a full freezer and don't get into it more than two times/week, will two hours of power every other day keep it frozen?

Taz...who is getting to old for all this "thinkin'"

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), July 12, 1999

Answers

Hi Taz:

Just from personal experience --- no way. Of course it depends where the freezer is (temp --- in a 40 degree basement or 68 degree upper level), how well insulated, and I suppose other things. When we've had power outages we can notice the difference in frozen items in just a couple hours. I would say 4 hrs at most- but we have an old inefficient type. Even if you have a well insulated freezer, if its in a living area of say 50 to 70 degrees, I can't see more than 24 hrs --- probably not even 8-12 --- before you really get into trouble.

I know thats a big range, but 2 hrs EOD sounds way off, so maybe you want to unplug your freezer for a couple hours or longer and see what happens.

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), July 12, 1999.


By the way, I was talking about MAINTINING a completely frozen product. After all, it takes about three days for a turkey to thaw out in a refrigerator, so I wasn't talking about losing your food. I just don't think 2hrs EOD can maintain adequately frozen food over the long term.

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), July 12, 1999.

Some one told me to turn it off for 24 hours and then turn on generator and then time the freezer as to when it shuts off. Like does it take 2 hrs or 6 hours? Since the generator will power the whole house, wouldn't it be feasible to do the same test while on the grid? Taz...who is getting tired and would like to just forget all this stuff.

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), July 12, 1999.

you'd be better off, in the winter, if you use an unheated porch or garage to keep things cold. the generator is better used for something else.

-- jocelyne slough (jonslough@tln.net), July 12, 1999.

You don't understand, Joycelan

1. We live in Florida

2. The generator is big enuff to run 2 or 3 houses full bore. So as long as its on for me to do washing, cooking, bathing, etc. it can do the freezer too. I will have that generator going a couple of hours every day or so anyway. And yes, we have now have 2000 gals of diesel stored. Or 500 days at 4 gal per day.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), July 12, 1999.



What winter? It's more like a continuous fall there! From one who is freezing in Indiana in July. Blood must have thinned in Florida.

-- sue (deco100@aol.com), July 12, 1999.

just chuckling at all of this.

Taz, I do understand your pickle......when the generator is on you've got too much power, and when it isn't, you don't have enough.

That's the basic problem with electricity as we have come to know it and use it.

That's the reason I fell in love with battery/inverter packs. The genny doesn't have to be running to draw power.

[drop the antispam X for email]

-- de (delewis@Xinetone.net), July 12, 1999.


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