What PO Means
Whirlpool explains that the Power Outage indicator tells you the power supply to the refrigerator has been off and the freezer temperature has risen. The display reads "Power Outage" - abbreviated to PO on some models - and an alert tone sounds three times; touching any button stops the tone. It is a food-safety message about what happened while you were away, not a fault in the appliance.
Common Causes of PO
- Household power cut while the appliance was unattended
- Breaker tripped or plug pulled
- Supply interruption long enough for the freezer to warm
🔧 One Safe Check You Can Try
Do not open the doors more than you must. Put an appliance thermometer in the freezer and one in the fridge and read them. Follow the food-safety thresholds rather than appearance or smell: refrigerated food held above 40F for more than two hours should be discarded, and frozen food that still holds ice crystals and is at or below 40F can be refrozen, while anything warmer for more than two hours should be thrown out. Never judge frozen food by look or taste. Once you have made those decisions, acknowledge the alert and let the appliance pull back down to temperature over several hours.
⚠ Why You Shouldn't Go Further Than That
- None - this is a status message and a food-safety decision.
- If the appliance does not return to temperature after several hours, that is a genuine cooling fault for a technician.
Opening a panel to inspect or repair something yourself doesn't automatically cancel your manufacturer's warranty — but it can risk accidental damage, and some manufacturers do have specific service conditions. Check your product's warranty terms, or ask us, before deciding.