December 8, 2020
No one likes a power outage, even a brief one. But if the power outage goes on for longer a day or longer, it becomes time to start actually thinking about what to do to protect your home and your family. A power outage can be miserable to live through, but you can get through it with these tips.
In some cases, a power outage may simply occur around the street for a few hours. In other cases, it might affect the entire city for days. Power outages don’t wait for a convenient time of year or for a chance to fit into your schedule. But you can take steps to protect your home and ride out the power outage. Here are our suggestions:
When the power goes off, many homeowners who have access turn to generators. Generators are used to convert chemical energy into electricity and can serve to give you electricity in the midst of a power outage. While industrial generators are used for commercial buildings, homeowners might have portable generators. However, due to the exhaust gas, you should make sure never to use generators indoors and to keep them far away from windows for the safety of everyone in the house.
If the power is out and your home cannot be heated on a cold winter evening, there’s some chance that your pipes could begin to freeze. This is not common in Northern California, with our mild winters, but there are occasional nights where it could be an issue. The way to avoid this is to turn all faucets and taps on. This will allow water to slowly drip into the pipes, keeping them circulating and thus less likely to freeze.
Have you ever been in the midst of a power outage and experienced a power surge due to an unstable power grid? These power surges can cause damage to your appliances if they’re plugged in, so it’s a good idea to unplug them all as soon as the power goes out. After all, you won’t be able to use them while the power is out, anyway. In these cases, it’s best to wait until the power is not only back on but is stable again before you plug in your appliances.
At Service Champions, we’re here for all of your HVAC needs, and we can help you to prepare your HVAC system and keep them in shape well before a power outage occurs. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment.