Power outages can happen at any time of year, but there are more likely to happen in seasons with extreme weather. In New England, we, of course, have ice and snow storms, but summer thunderstorms also cause power outages. Lightning strikes and downed power lines can take out the power to your home or neighborhood. If you don’t have a backup generator, it’s important that you know what to do during and after a power outage. You can always call a residential electrician to check on your home after an outage (and we think you should!), but there’s a lot you can do yourself.
Here’s what you should do during and after a power outage to protect your home.
Make sure it’s not just your house.
The first thing to do is ensure that the outage isn’t only affecting your house. Don’t go running out into the street during a storm to see if your neighbors’ lights are still on, but do what you can to check safely. You can always call or text your neighbors if you can’t safely tell if anyone else is experiencing an outage. Report the outage to the utility company and call a residential electrician if your house is the only one affected.
Check your circuit breakers.
Take a look at your circuit breakers to see if any of them have tripped. If they have, reset them, and then check again when the power is restored. You should also turn off your wall switches to protect any lights or appliances attached to them. Leave on one or two lamps with energy-efficient bulbs so you know when the power comes back on.
Protect sensitive appliances and electronics.
Fluctuations in power when electricity is restored can damage sensitive appliances and electronics, such as computers and TVs. To protect these devices, you should unplug them or turn off the power strip. When the power returns, plug your appliances back in one by one to avoid overloading anything.
Chamberlin Electric | Residential Electrician Serving NH & MA
Chamberlin Electric is a commercial and residential electrician serving New Hampshire and Massachusetts with over 30 years of experience. If you’re concerned about damage after a power outage, we’ll come out and take a look. We are also a licensed Generac dealer if you would like to install a backup generator for your home.
