Dear Readers: With climate change has come some very unpredictable weather, which has caused many of you to ask how long food can last in the refrigerator or freezer. It appears that weather-related outages have increased significantly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all of us should be stocking up on ice and frozen containers of fresh water. If you know a bad storm is coming, you might want to stock up on ice and store it in coolers before the storm begins. Pay attention to the expiration dates on bottled water.

Do not store milk, eggs and (nearly all) dairy products in the refrigerator door. Because the door is often opened and closed, the temperature can fluctuate. Dairy products do better with a steady temperature.

Stock up on nonperishables, such as canned tuna, peanut butter, pasta and powdered drinks that can be mixed with water.

A full refrigerator can usually go 36-40 hours without power and still keep food safe enough to consume. A refrigerator that’s half full will usually keep food safe between 12-24 hours. Of course, this means you can’t open the refrigerator door.

If you have food in the freezer, it’s probably best to cook the meats after 5 or 6 hours without power. Poultry and seafood should be cooked much sooner than the meats. Cooked foods can be stored or eaten immediately. If you refreeze items in your freezer, you risk getting “freezer burn” on your food.

The biggest variable on when to cook food depends on the make and year of your refrigerator. Newer models will generally stay cool longer if the refrigerator door is kept shut.

One very important thing to remember: After your refrigerator/freezer goes 4 hours without power, put all that prepared ice (mentioned beforehand) in with your food. This is especially important for perishable foods. — Heloise

HIGH WATER PRESSURE RUINS APPLIANCES

Dear Heloise: I discovered that my water pressure is at 180 PSI (pounds per square inch), which is probably part of the reason why so many of my toilets and appliances that require water don’t seem to last very long. In my area, we are supposed to have a water pressure that is no higher than 80 PSI. If any of your readers are in doubt, they can call the water department and ask to have someone come out and check on the water pressure in their home.

If the water pressure is too high, they’ll need to have a water pressure reducing valve installed to prevent the pressure on the water lines from breaking and ruining appliances. — Holly L., in San Antonio

SANTA CLAUS BELIEVER

Dear Heloise: At which age do children stop believing in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny? My son is 9 and still believes they exist. — Kelly A., Jackson, Mississippi

Kelly, I believe it varies from one child to another, but eventually, most children figure it out by themselves. If your son doesn’t know that these figures aren’t real, you may have to sit him down and tell him someday. — Heloise

ADJUSTING WAISTBANDS

Dear Heloise: Sheet grippers are perfect for adjusting waistbands. Simply attach the gripper to the loops of the garment and click it into place. — P.J., in San Antonio