We've all been through a power outage at least once in our lives, and although they can be annoying and inconvenient, they can also be quite dangerous.
Power outages can affect entire areas and can last anywhere between a couple of minutes to even weeks depending on the severity of the problem.
There are various reasons that a power outage is caused and some of these reasons include
Increasing use and lack of electricity
During the summer months, more electricity is used to keep cool with people using air conditioners and fans all through the day, and an outage occurs during this time if the demand of power exceeds the supply. This is usually fixed once the supply of electricity is increased but can still cause problems.
Weather
When there is a big storm, there is always the chance that a lightning strike could hit a power station causing an outage or fallen trees can hit power lines severing the power supply to an area.
Hot days
It's not only the increase in electricity needs on hot days that can cause power outages, but the hot weather itself also play a significant part in this. On hot days transformers can overheat just like any electrical product causing a blackout, also fuses can blow, and the heat can start fires which could damage power poles and lines.
Now there are many causes of blackouts and power outages so what should you do if you find yourself in this position?
Step 1. Don't panic and analyse the situation
Look around you and determine how the outage was caused and then proceed with your actions.
Step 2. Explain the situation to anyone in your house
This is essential if you have young children since they may get frightened, run in the dark and injure themselves, so telling them to stay calm is the best thing you can do.
Step 3. Report it
Reporting the outage to your local council or power company is your next step as they might not be aware of the problem yet.
Step 4. Wait it out
These issues can often be solved quickly so staying calm and waiting for the power to be restored is the best course of action you can take.
One of the best ways to prevent this from happening is to report any problem you see in your areas such as damaged poles or power lines. If you see any in your area then call your local electrical company and depending on the situation they will send over an electrician to fix the problem.
M1&Co Electrical have the most qualified level 2 electricians in the Illawarra area so if you need any type of electrical work done or just want a quote about a job you may have, please give us a call on 0455 559 598 also don't worry if it's late because problems don't just happen during business hours.