Important information Preparing for a power cut.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Yes, you've often said that. I've never had one of these new-fangled freezers, so don't have personal experience, but I thought the idea was that most of the 'frost', hence defrosting, happened outside of the freezer cavity, such that the temp inside the cavity probably did not rise much during the 'defrost cycle'. Is that not the case?

That is the case. The frost, and ice, forms on the colder parts, which are at the very rear of the internals, which are segregated by a plastic wall, with vents to the main food storage compartment. The fan circulates the cold, via the vents, to the main compartment. With the fan off, and the fridge in defrost mode, defrosting just the small rear compartment, then it should make little difference to the temperature of the contents of the main compartment, at the front.

 

[JohnW2]

That is the case. The frost, and ice, forms on the colder parts, which are at the very rear of the internals, which are segregated by a plastic wall, with vents to the main food storage compartment. The fan circulates the cold, via the vents, to the main compartment. With the fan off, and the fridge in defrost mode, defrosting just the small rear compartment, then it should make little difference to the temperature of the contents of the main compartment, at the front.

Thanks for confirming - as I said, that was certainly my understanding.

So what, I wonder, is the basis of eric's often-voiced concerns? If (as we seem to agree is the case) the temperature within the main cavity changes little during the 'defrost cycle', why should it make any difference (to the consequences) if a power cut occurs during or soon after such 'defrosting'?

 

[ericmark]

It is only the top of the freezer that is affected, the chimney effect, will cause a little air movement without the fan running. This can defrost food in the top of the freezer.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

So what, I wonder, is the basis of eric's often-voiced concerns?

Eric is a bit of a worrier?

It is only the top of the freezer that is affected, the chimney effect, will cause a little air movement without the fan running. This can defrost food in the top of the freezer.

The defrost is quite brief and not much heat generated.

 

[JohnW2]

It is only the top of the freezer that is affected, the chimney effect, will cause a little air movement without the fan running. This can defrost food in the top of the freezer.

The top of any freezer (and obviously more so in those relying on a fan) is always going to be a bit warmer than the bottom. However, I find it very hard to believe that, even in a fan-reliant one, the temp even at the top will fall enough during a modest period without power for things to start melting.

 

[JohnW2]

Eric is a bit of a worrier?

You're obviously a man who deals in 'under-statements', but I suppose one also has to reserve a bit of that for bernard

 

[bernardgreen]

to reserve a bit of that for bernard

Planning for the management of ( recovery from ) the unexpected 1-in-10,000 incident does help

 

[JohnW2]

Planning for the management of ( recovery from ) the unexpected 1-in-10,000 incident does help

Anything 'helps' but, pragmatically, one has to decide whether or not the 'cost' (in the broadest sense) is justified by the extent of that 'help'.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Planning for the management of ( recovery from ) the unexpected 1-in-10,000 incident does help

It does no harm, but always, providing it doesn't become too much of an obsession.

 

[JohnW2]

It does no harm, but always, providing it doesn't become too much of an obsession.

Exactly, and also provided that the amount of time, effort and cost of try to mitigate the risk is commensurate with the magnitude of the risk.

I suspect that it would be a "life's work" to attempt to even compile a near-exhaustive list of all the 'risks' of 1 in 10,000 or less that existed, leaving one with no time to address them (or to "live")

 

[ericmark]

Planning for the management of ( recovery from ) the unexpected 1-in-10,000 incident does help

Unfortunately, we don't know if 1 in 10,000, or 100,000, or 1,000. I hope 1 in 1000,000. But talking about in on the forum, allows us to put at least some prospective on the risks.

I think the chance of having a power cut at night when I can't safely reach some sort of light is very low.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I think the chance of having a power cut at night when I can't safely reach some sort of light is very low.

Are any potential power cuts, more likely during the day, during the peak demand hours, rather than at night?

 

[JohnW2]

Unfortunately, we don't know if 1 in 10,000, or 100,000, or 1,000. I hope 1 in 1000,000.

Obviously usually true. However, talking about 'in perspective'(as you do later), there are, for example, around 30,000 people killed or seriously injured on the roads in UK each year, and as a crude proportion of the entire UK population, that represents a risk of something like "1 in 2,300" per year (about "1 in 30" in an average lifetime).

But talking about in on the forum, allows us to put at least some prospective on the risks.

Exactly. The fact that were talking about an event which has not happened to anyone in the UK (due to a 'deliberate power cut') for several decades should provide some 'perspective' as regards how much we should be worrying about it

I think the chance of having a power cut at night when I can't safely reach some sort of light is very low.

Exactly - and, even if if it did happen, there's a fair chance that you would be asleep at the time, and not awaken until there was daylight, so might not even know about it,let alone 'troubled' by it

 

[aveatry]

I think the chance of having a power cut at night when I can't safely reach some sort of light is very low.

Exactly - and, even if if it did happen, there's a fair chance that you would be asleep at the time, and not awaken until there was daylight, so might not even know about it,let alone 'troubled' by it

No I think it is more likely to happen at night - everyone is at home using home appliances- charging cars- lights are on so that is when the system is more likely to fall over and not when no one is using it.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

No I think it is more likely to happen at night - everyone is at home using home appliances- charging cars- lights are on so that is when the system is more likely to fall over and not when no one is using it.

The power cuts they seem to be concerned about, are 'load shedding', where they attempt to reduce the load, to match the available generation. Those peak loads, are during the day, plus around meal times. Spare capacity is available during the night, which is why the encourage off-peak use, reducing the cost. Sometimes they do have too much day time capacity, due to exceptional wind generation, which is why Octopus give sometimes give a free hours use sometime between 12:00 and 15:00