A refrigerator door standing open on a compartment that has been emptied, a cool box and a bag of ice on the floor in front of it.

Is this dangerous, and is the food still good

Safety and food
guides.

Food-safety thresholds, what a burning smell means, and what to unplug before anything else.

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Safety and food,
guide by guide.

Two questions come up whenever a refrigerator misbehaves badly: is it safe to leave it running, and is the food inside still safe to eat. This section answers both, and it keeps them separate from the repair guides because they cannot wait for a diagnosis.

All 19 guides

A kitchen worktop with a cooler open beside a refrigerator whose doors stand open, food containers being moved across.

5-minute read

What to do with the food when the refrigerator fails

Two hours above 40°F is the FDA's line for perishables; a closed fridge holds about four, and a full, closed freezer about forty-eight.

A hand pulling a refrigerator's power plug from a wall outlet low behind the appliance.

5-minute read

The smells and sounds that mean unplug it now

Most refrigerator noises are harmless. A burning or chemical smell is not a cleaning problem and should not wait for Thursday.

A dark kitchen lit only by soft daylight, a refrigerator with its interior light off and the door closed.

5-minute read

After a power cut: read the alert before you clear it

Some models record the highest temperature reached while you were not watching, and clearing the alert destroys the only evidence.

Is this dangerous, and is the food still good.

The food guidance uses the figures the FDA publishes for refrigerator and freezer temperatures and for how long food holds without power, with the source linked on each page. The appliance guidance covers the smells and sounds that mean switching it off now, and what to read on the display after the power comes back before anything is cleared.

Read this section first if there is a burning smell, a tripped breaker, or a cabinet that has been warm for an unknown length of time.

Not sure where to start?

The short answerWhat to do with the food when the refrigerator fails

For refrigerator food safety, go by temperature and time, not smell: discard perishables like meat, dairy, eggs and leftovers once they have been above 40°F for 2 hours or more.

The short answerThe smells and sounds that mean unplug it now

A refrigerator burning smell means cut the power immediately, using the breaker if the plug is hot or hard to reach; smoke, a scorched outlet, a bang followed by silence, or a breaker tripping at every start mean the same.

The short answerAfter a power cut: read the alert before you clear it

With a refrigerator after a power outage, photograph the display before clearing any alarm, because some models show the warmest temperature the freezer reached, and clearing the alert can take it off the screen.

When reading
is not enough.

If the checks in these guides did not settle it, the visit picks up from there, stop by stop.

What repairs cost

01Diagnose
02Quote before any work
03Parts
04Repair and check

The problems
these answer.

Each has a page of its own, with the causes in the order worth checking.

All 18 problems

A gloved hand holding a thermometer probe on the middle shelf of an open refrigerator compartment.

Food safety applies

Refrigerator Not Cooling

7 causes, cheapest first

Softening frozen food and wet slushy frost on the shelf of an open freezer compartment.

Food safety applies

Freezer Not Freezing

6 causes, cheapest first

An open refrigerator with a completely dark interior and no lamp lit, seen in a dim kitchen.

Food safety applies

Refrigerator Not Turning On

5 causes, cheapest first

Crisper drawers lifted out onto a worktop while a gloved hand wipes the empty cavity beneath them clean.

Problem

Bad Smell in the Refrigerator

5 causes, cheapest first

A family preparing a meal together in their kitchen — For the heart of your home.

Questions about
safety and food.

Where do the food-safety numbers on these pages come from?

From the FDA's published guidance on food during power outages, which is linked in the sources on each guide. We do not add our own thresholds.

Should I call a repair service or the fire department for a burning smell?

Cut the power first. If there is smoke that keeps building or any flame, leave the house and call 911; if the smell stops once power is off, book a repair visit.

Can I keep using the freezer if only the refrigerator side has a problem?

Usually, as long as it holds 0°F and there is no electrical smell. Check it with a separate thermometer rather than trusting the display alone.

The other
sections.

Split by what you are trying to find out rather than by which part of the appliance it concerns.

All guides

The rear wall of an open refrigerator compartment with its air vents, shelves half loaded in front of it.

Why it is doing that

Back to your everyday

Let’s get your refrigerator working again.

Three short steps online, or one call. Tell us what you are seeing and pick a window that works.

Schedule a repair Call (844) 681-4650

Safety and food
guides.

Safety and food,
guide by guide.

What to do with the food when the refrigerator fails

The smells and sounds that mean unplug it now

After a power cut: read the alert before you clear it

Is this dangerous, and is the food still good.

The short answerWhat to do with the food when the refrigerator fails

The short answerThe smells and sounds that mean unplug it now

The short answerAfter a power cut: read the alert before you clear it

When reading
is not enough.