How long does a freezer stay frozen when the power goes out?

Re:How long does a freezer stay frozen when the power goes out? by msandford on Monday August 10, 2020 @12:34AM (#24105594)

That's the point! The brine is frozen at -19c and liquid at - 17c which is well below the freezing point of everything else in the freezer.

Or you can have normal water which is frozen at -1c and liquid at 1c. Your pick.

The handy thing about the brine is that its absorbs heat at a temperature below that which everything else thaws. So as the brine thaws it keeps your freezer at -18c which means everything in it is still frozen.

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Re:How long does a freezer stay frozen when the power goes out? by banach_d on Monday August 10, 2020 @07:13AM (#24107952)

But if the brine is not frozen at the working temperature of your freezer, it's completely ineffective compared to water.

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Re:How long does a freezer stay frozen when the power goes out? by jacknews on Monday August 10, 2020 @10:34AM (#24109674)

Of course, you need to choose a salt % that gives a melting point just above the temperature you want to keep everything else, so that the salt water is normally frozen.

I mentioned -18C because that is the recommended minimum temperature for freezers such that some foods can last almost indefinitely; certain chemical reactions are completely shut down.

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