Power’s out? 7 things you should do during a power outage

A power outage? Not again!

You’re planning to do your laundry, vacuum your home, or simply take a hot shower. But as luck would have it, that’s when your power has turned off.

Unscheduled power outages can bring a lot of frustration, especially if you’re not sure if it’s a planned, short-term disruption, or an unexpected outage. Depending on the other factors like strong rain, wind and storms or accidents, you might also be unaware of how long the power will be out for.

So what do you do during a power outage, particularly in cases where it seems your home is the only one that’s been affected in the neighbourhood?

When it comes to a power outage, electric failure and power line damage, the best thing to do is to contact R.E.S’ electricians in Melbourne. We’re available 24/7 for all your domestic and commercial electrical concerns, so call us now on 1300 300 222.

Just a quick note that any area-wide outages (that is, more than your own home is affected) indicate a power supply issue. In such cases, restoring power is the responsibility of your power company. In isolated cases, however, your local electrician can help!

Common causes of a power outage

When dealing with a power outage, it is best to always prioritise comfort and safety. In most cases, power outages indicate a problem with your electrical system or a specific appliance, and are usually no cause for great concern.

However, it’s crucial you take the right measures to protect your home and family and reduce the chances of any severe damage or risk. 

However, without knowing the cause, the risks are often unclear, too. Some of the most common causes of blackhours include:

• Storms, rain, and heavy wind
• Fallen trees damaging power lines
• Car accidents
• Earthquakes
• Lightning
• Electrical failure

What to do during a power outage

Protecting your home (and those inside) from any damage caused by power outage should be your number one concern. Proper planning supersedes any worries that you may have when a power outage strikes.

The best thing that you should do is to plan what you should do before, during, and after the power outage.

You may also need to prepare a family emergency plan so that everyone in your household knows what to do in case of an emergency. You can also prepare an emergency kit for your family.

Here are some additional steps that you can take on what you can do during a power outage.

1. Double check the coverage of the power outage

You might not even know it, but the power outage may only be happening in your house. 

During a power outage, you may need to check if your neighbours have power. If they do, this indicates a localised issue with your home only.

If you discover that the wires may be damaged, you may need to call an emergency electrician to check.

It is best to also save the number of your electric supply provider and your electrician in Melbourne, especially when an emergency situation like this happens. 

 2. Turn off all appliances

A power surge may trigger or accompany a power outage, which is why you must turn off all electrical appliances, gadgets, and other electronic equipment.

Doing so will save your appliances from any damage due to an unexpected or unprecedented power surge. 

3. Don’t leave candles unattended

While using candles as a light source during a blackout is common, it’s critical you keep them out of reach of children and other obstacles like paper or curtains.

Never leave them unattended, and use a torch instead, whenever possible.

4. Do not open your freezer

Never open your freezer unless absolutely necessary. This will help protect food inside and reduce the risk of it spoiling. A fridge may keep food cold for 4 hours, while a freezer may keep food frozen for 24-48 hours, if left unopened.

(This is a guide only and we do not make any guarantees around food safety; please make these decisions at your own discretion.)

 5. Install a surge-protecting power bar

Protect your home appliances before power outage hits by using surge-protecting power bars. Doing so will protect your electrical appliances from the surge and therefore from potential damage.

Power outages are unexpected however in many cases, they are solved quickly. Having said that, though, we understand that they can still be a source of frustration and stress.

There are a few things you can do in order to protect yourself and your family during these unpredictable times:

6. How to protect yourself during a power outage

Power outages are unexpected however in many cases, they are solved quickly. Having said that, though, we understand that they can still be a source of frustration and stress. There are a few things you can do in order to protect yourself and your family during these unpredictable times:

• Try to keep calm – especially if you’ve got little ones with you
• If it is safe to do so, move to another location for heating and cooling
• If possible, communicate with your family to let them know you might be unreachable if you’re no longer able to charge devices
• Disconnect appliances
• Do not try to inspect or rectify the issue yourself
• Rely on your local emergency electrician for immediate advice and support

Should you turn off your breakers during power outages?

Turning off power breakers has been a common practice for homeowners during a power outage.

However, turning them off and on again plus repeatedly flipping the switch can cause an electrical hazard or at the very least, some damage. The best thing to do is to leave it as is during a power outage.

Having said though, circuit breakers will automatically shut off, especially if there is already an overload. 

What to do after a power outage

Even if you see that power has come back on, we recommend waiting a further 10-20 minutes to ensure that power has been restored completely.

Before connecting all your devices and appliances, make sure that you check the surge protectors first.

If you’re worried or confused, call your local emergency electrician to assess the issue and identify any potential dangers.

How can I prepare for a power outage?

While most of the time, power outages are unexpected, there are still a few things you and your family can organise in order to prepare for an outage. This includes:

• An emergency first-aid kit that contains essentials such as hand sanitiser, bandaids, baby wipes, and sanitary items
• Battery-operated fans
• Torches and spare batteries
• A charger that can charge phones in your car
• Drinking water

Be sure to revisit your emergency kit every 6 months to replace items such as batteries.

Suffering a power failure? Worried about the after-effects of a blackout? 

Call an emergency electrician in Melbourne!

If an electrical fault causes a power outage in your home (and your home alone), then it is best to call an emergency electrician in Melbourne for immediate advice and support.

We’ll give you the peace of mind you need to ensure that your home’s electrical system is safe and fit for purpose, your safety switch is working as it should, and there are no hidden electrical faults or dangers in your system. 

Need an emergency electrician now? Call R.E.S Total Electrical Services anytime on 1300 300 222. We promise to answer the phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

For less urgent matters including Melbourne general electrical services, we invite you to contact us online or give us a call.