When we return from vacations or a trip, we usually check that everything is as we left it, especially the refrigerator, to make sure it’s working well. However, there are details we may not notice right away. For instance, we can’t know if there were any power outages or voltage drops while we were away that may have disconnected the fridge temporarily. It’s crucial to know this because it helps us avoid food poisoning from spoiled food.

That’s why, in today’s post, we’re sharing a trick that a user shared with us to help determine if your refrigerator stopped working while you were relaxing at the beach with a coconut in hand. All you need is a coin, a small container, and water. Let’s look at the details of this helpful trick…

Before your trip, make sure to have a coin, a small container, and some water on hand. First, fill the container with water and place it in the freezer for a few hours. Once the water is completely frozen, put the coin on top and place the container back in the freezer.

Once you’ve followed the steps, all that’s left is to enjoy your trip. When you return, check if the coin is at the bottom of the container or still on top of the frozen water. If the coin sank to the bottom, it means there was a power outage long enough for the freezer to thaw and then refreeze when the power came back on. In this case, it’s likely the food in the fridge isn’t safe to eat. On the other hand, if the coin is still on top of the ice, it means there were no extended power outages while you were away, so the food in the fridge remained cold and is safe to consume.