Weather, accidents, and storms can suddenly disrupt the power to your home during the coldest months of the year. Severe damage to power lines and the electrical grid can cause outages for days, or weeks. A power outage can compromise your family’s safety and comfort.
Therefore, you need to be ready before and after a power outage occurs. Here are some tips on how to be prepared when the electricity goes out in your home.
How to Prepare for a Power Outage
The best way to handle a power outage is to prepare your family for that moment before it happens. Here’s a to-do list:
● Upgrade your electrical panel. A power outage could overload the panel and prolong the outage in your home; long after the power company has restored the power in your area.
● Check your flashlights and stock fresh batteries. Charge up any rechargeable flashlights.
● Have a reliable heat source standby such as a gas fireplace, wood burning stove, or fireplace with plenty of wood nearby.
● Purchase or upgrade the electrical backup in your house. For instance, if you have a portable generator, you may want to look into purchasing a standby generator to ensure that you have power to your entire house instead of two to three appliances.
● Insulate any wires that are exposed to the outside weather (there should be none). Make sure they are properly covered or enclosed.
● Set your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings (remember to reset them back to normal once power is restored). During an outage, do not open the refrigerator or freezer door. Food can stay cold in a full refrigerator for up to 24 hours, and in a well-packed freezer for 48 hours (24 hours if it is half-packed).
● Review the process for manually operating your electric garage door. You may want to integrate a battery backup into your current system, check the wiring, and make sure emergency cord is attached to the door.
What to do During a Power Outage
Your next few steps after the power outage are critical to your family’s safety. Act quickly and decisively to restore the power in your home.
● To protect against an irregular power surge when the power comes back on, unplug all sensitive electronic equipment, including TVs, stereo, microwave oven, computers, and garage door opener.
● Before you contact Harrison Electric to fix the power outage, you may want to contact the power company to find out if there is an issue area-wide.
● If your home is the only one in your area without power, make sure you paid your power bill.
● If there is no area-wide power outage and you paid your power bill, then there is a problem with your electrical. If so, contact a Harrison Electric technician to schedule an emergency electrical service. We can promptly arrive at your home, identify the issues, and make the necessary repairs to get your power back on.
Use Caution After the Power Returns
After the power comes back on to your home, there may still be issues that are lingering in or around the house. If you notice any potential electrical hazards, then contact Harrison Electric right away.
Practice caution if you go outside to inspect the area for any further damage. Damaged power lines can lie underneath the snow, trees, or debris. Do not attempt to touch or move power lines.
Always assume that a power line is live. Instead, call your local power company or a Harrison Electric technician to handle the problem.
Professional Electrical Service in Minneapolis
If you need an emergency electrical service in the Minneapolis area, then contact Harrison Electric. We offer comprehensive electrical installation, repair, and full replacement.
To find out more about our services to schedule an inspection or repair, call us at 763-544-3300, or you can message us at mail@harrison-electric.com.