Picture
refrigerator door open
It's not a good idea to visit the refrigerator during power outages, as its internal temperature drops in a few hours.

Tips from the environmental agency for preparing for power outages

Release
17.11.2022 11:15
Short power outages do not revolutionize everyday life. If the breaks are longer, you should consider a few everyday tips.

Food storage

  • A well-insulated, full container freezer keeps food frozen for up to a couple of days. The home freezer may only defrost during a longer power outage. Thawed food should not be refrozen in that case. In the freezer, food stays frozen longer if its door is not opened unnecessarily. 
  • Similarly, in a refrigerator, food stays cold for only a few hours when the electricity is out.
  • Heated foods are not safe to use. You should be particularly careful with fish and shellfish and also raw meat products. Prepared foods and dairy products keep a little longer. Milk can be used as long as it tastes and smells good.
  • In winter, food can be stored outside in a cooler or in a box lined with newspapers. The best temperature is between zero and + 6 degrees. If food freezes outside, it must be used immediately after thawing.
  • When the electricity comes back on:  Find out and evaluate the quality of food in cold storage. You can leave frozen food to refreeze. Thawed but still cold foods, for example meat, fish, shellfish and berries, should be cooked as soon as possible. Do not eat thawed food whose packaging is broken.

water temperature

  • Temperature is an important factor affecting the growth of Legionella. Legionella can multiply in water with a temperature of 20–45 °C. At a temperature hotter than that, the legionella begin to be damaged and most of the legionella are destroyed within a few hours at 50 °C. Water at a constant temperature of 60 °C no longer contains living legionella bacteria.
  • In water systems built after 2007, according to the Ministry of the Environment's regulation (1047/2017), the warm water must be at least 55 °C on all sides of the water system. This means that the water leaving the heat exchanger or heat exchanger must be significantly hotter, up to 65 °C if necessary. 
    Decree of the Ministry of the Environment on water and sewage systems in buildings (1047/2017)
  • In properties older than 2007, the recommended minimum temperature of 50 °C is generally followed. That temperature level is not always sufficient to prevent legionella growth and cases of legionellosis. In order to combat legionella, it is advisable to keep the warm domestic water at around 55–60 degrees regardless of the age of the system. In the most problematic water systems, it may be necessary to increase the temperature of the hot domestic water up to 65 °C.
  • The temperature of household water and other types of cold water should be below 20 °C to reduce the growth potential of legionella.

Internal temperature

A power outage of a couple of hours still does not cool the apartment. If the indoor temperature of the building starts to drop during a longer break, you can apply the following instructions according to the situation and possibilities:

  • Close the windows and keep the front door closed. Close the intermediate doors to the corridors, air closets and the hall and block the gaps.
  • Try to keep one space warm. Close the doors of outer rooms and corner rooms and block the entry of cold air with carpets or towels.
  • Cover the windows with thick curtains or blankets. Bring more rugs to the floor.
  • Put on warm, breathable clothes. Put on socks or shoes, put on a hat and gloves if necessary.
  • If you have to spend the night in a cold room, make the beds in the warmest room. 

Animal farms

  • In animal farms, the most important thing is to prepare in advance by making sure that reserve power is in use.
  • When the power outage is prolonged, it is good to pay attention to the animals' adequate supply of water. Snow is not enough to replace melted drinking water, as the amount of water obtained from snow is remarkably small. Please remember to offer the animals enough melted drinking water several times a day.
  • A full-grown cattle needs 40–160 liters of water per day, a horse 20–100 liters, depending on the physiological state and stress. For example, a common cause of hoarseness in horses in the winter is dehydration.

For more information:

environmental engineer, acting director of health supervision, Armi Kainulainen, tel. 020 617 4330, armi.kainulainenatimatra.fi (armi[dot]kainulainen[at]imatra[dot]fi)  

Sources:

Nain_varaudut_pitkiin_sahkokatkoi.pdf (defmin.fi)

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