Why is it a bad idea to freeze water in a plastic container?

Freezing Water in Plastic

Here are answers that have been contributed:

• The direct answer to the question is probably that sometimes we forget to leave room in the container when we fill it. This permits the water to freeze, expand and then break the container. It's that simple. Read more for how to get around this, and for why you might want to have a container or two of ice in your freezer.

• If you try to freeze water, juice, whatever in a closed plastic container without leaving room for expansion, your container will crack or burst. I fill plastic bottles or jugs with liquid, leaving plenty of room at the top for expansion. Once the liquid is frozen, then you can safely tighten the lid.

• Freezing jugs of water and storing them in your freezer is actually an excellent idea. They keep the freezer from having to work as hard to cool the compartment if you don't keep your freezer space full. In the event of a power outage the chunks of ice can help prevent the loss of your food for a little longer. NOT indefinitely, but it does help for brief periods of time. My freezer lasted two days during a summer hurricane.

• Bottles with frozen water are also great for putting in coolers. They provide cooling, and as they melt, you have cold CLEAN water to drink. Combining loose ice and frozen jugs or bottles is what I prefer to use.
• it will explode

First answer by Leslie. Last edit by Arqi90. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 277 [recommend question]