Most, if not all, homes today are highly dependent on electricity. Everything, including entertainment, work, studies, and utilities, rely on power. So in case of a blackout and if you don’t have a generator, expect your daily routine to be disrupted. Everything will also be very inconvenient.
For instance, you may be left without cooling or heating, lighting, hot water, and even running water. Without a battery-powered radio or backup battery for your phone, you may not be able to monitor the news. Sometimes, a total power outage may even be life-threatening, especially if you are relying on medical devices. That said, you might find yourself in big trouble if you don’t know what to do and when to call a licensed electrician. So to help you out, here’s a list of the things you need to do in case of a blackout.
Table of Contents
1. Unplug Appliances and Devices
Once the power goes out, immediately unplug your electronic devices and appliances. This includes your microwave, television, computer, and anything that involves heating. You don’t want your iron or oven accidentally turning back on when the power returns, right? You should also turn your heating system to a minimum.
Unplugging will save your appliances and devices from power surges in case the power goes back up. More importantly, your home’s electricity can restore faster if there is no heavy load on the system.
2. Check the Neighborhood
After unplugging your appliances and devices, the next step you should do is to check on your neighbors. Aside from seeing if they need any help, you should also find out if you are all affected by the blackout.
If they are and your whole street has lost power, then the problem is in your community. In this case, you can call your utility company to report the blackout and ask for any interruptions or problems with their service. You can also ask if they can give you an estimate on how long it will take to restore the power.
3. Check Your Home
On the other hand, if your neighbors are unaffected by the blackout, then the problem is within your home. First, try to remember when you last paid your utility bill. If you are sure they are paid, there is a high chance that an electrical problem caused the power outage. In such cases, you can try to troubleshoot the electrical fault with your main breaker, fuse box, GFCI outlet, or circuit breaker.
Try to see if you’ve blown a fuse or if your breaker has tripped. If you have, then simply change the fuse or reset your circuit breaker. For your GFCI outlet, all you need to do is push the reset button. If these don’t work, if you can’t reset your branch breakers, or if resetting your breaker trips your main breaker, then you have a bigger problem with your electric circuit. So to fix it, you will need to call a licensed electrician.
4. Call an Emergency Electrician
Don’t like waiting and scheduling an appointment? Or maybe the blackout happened outside of normal business hours (9 am to 5 pm)? If so, then consider calling an emergency electrician. This individual will not only restore your power but he/she will also determine what caused the power outage in the first place. This is important to prevent isolated blackouts from happening again.
Calling a licensed electrician is also vital to keeping you and your family safe. If the electrical problem that caused the blackout is serious, such as having a damaged breaker box, then it should be addressed and fixed as soon as possible before it creates bigger and costlier problems later on. Or worse, before it leads to an accident and causes harm to your and your family.
