During the winter, things like power outages, surges, and blackouts are always a possibility. This can be caused by snow and ice storms when electrical lines are damaged, resulting in major issues like power cuts.
This makes preparing for these situations extremely important during the cold winters. One thing you can do before the winter is get an electrical system inspection. Doing so will ensure you aren’t stuck with any faults. Making the difference between disaster and salvation. For instance, sometimes rodents or other wildlife can make themselves at home in your home and find places like the attic to dwell in. They might be inclined to gnaw through some wires they find up there, leaving you with a big problem. Even if you don’t have pests in your attic, wiring can wear out over time and should be replaced by an experienced electrician. Our team at SiteTech Electrical is here to help you know what to do in a winter outage!
What To Do
Get Alternative Lighting
If you have a backup generator, that’s amazing. If you can use gas to power lights, that will work too. Before winter begins, you should be preparing by having these alternative lights ready, just in case something happens. If possible, don’t use candles due to them being a fire hazard. Something else you can use is battery powered lights.
Turn Off Power Outlets
As soon as the power goes off, you should go and turn off the main switch on your electrical panel. Doing this is going to prevent unexpected damages if the power rushes back into your house. This is a good precaution to practice, even if you have circuit breakers that stop power spikes.
Save Heat
The biggest problem during winter when the power goes out is the cold. You want to make sure your house does not get too cold. This is why it is important to save heat as long as possible. You will find that gaps in doors and windows are a major source for heat to escape. Ensure that all your doors and windows are properly sealed to stop any heat loss. One thing with winter power outages is that it is unpredictable on how long it will last for. To seal any cracks, use towels in the most likely places heat will escape from. Another thing you can do is section yourself to one area of the house in order to save more heat, as well as keeping a smaller area warmer. Bundle up with extra clothes and blankets if it starts to get colder inside.
Circuit Breaker Check
Power surges and spikes during stormy weather can result in a blackout. When this happens on a wide scale throughout the community, power companies are pretty quick to deal with it and get it repaired. But if you find that this has happened to you alone, it’s most likely something to do with the circuit breaker. Go check it out to determine if the switches have been flipped. Sometimes, there can be a power line that is down and that is why this has happened, affecting numerous homes. When this happens, notify an emergency power company so that they can come and fix the issue. If it is just your home that has an outage, you can contact a local electrician to come and help you.
How We Can Help
If you are experiencing a winter power outage, follow the guide above and make sure to contact Hydro one to find out if this is a widespread problem. If a power outage ever happens in your house alone, you can contact our team at SiteTech Electrical for our Richmond Hill residential electrical services. You can give us a call at (647) 939-3239.
