Residential electrical power outages can occur anytime. Power outages can occur either from the source of electricity or the house itself. What is important though is that the homeowner and the rest of his household are knowledgeable in dealing with a power outage so that they could remain safe the whole time.
This article will discuss what homeowners should do in the event of a power outage, what the whole household should observe during the duration of the power interruption, and what actions to carry out as soon as power is restored.
Why does a power outage occur?
There are numerous reasons why power outages take place. From the source, it could either be due to an issue with the power grid, a sudden unexpected increase in demand for power, as well as weather disturbances.
Internally, power outages could be due to power overloading, problems with the circuit breaker, pest or animal infestation, unpaid electrical bills, among others.
Dealing with power outages
The first thing any homeowner should do upon losing power supply is to check whether the outage is community or neighborhood-wide, or if it is a power interruption isolated within the property. If it is community-wide, then it is best to check whether there are announcements from the utility company about a scheduled or unscheduled power interruption or whatever announcement.
It is also possible that there are downed powerlines within the neighborhood, so it is best to check with the neighbors if they too are suffering from a power outage.
Power outage within the home
If the power outage is isolated, then the property owner should of course check if he or she has settled the latest power bill. If yes, then he can check the circuit breaker. One of the circuits or the panel itself may have gone on reset due to an electrical issue or circuit overloading. The property owner can easily reset the breaker if that is the case.
If the issue is not within the breaker then the best recourse is to call an electrical repair company or an emergency electrician that can diagnose and troubleshoot the matter.
Using a power generator
Regardless of the reason why there is a power outage, homeowners are advised to correctly use their power generators. Emergency Backup Power is helpful but it can also be a safety hazard when incorrectly used. Generators should never be mounted inside the home. Instead, it should be set up outside the house. The homeowner should also be mindful of the direction of the generator’s exhaust, and ensure that the fumes are not going towards any window or door.Â