Avoiding Power Outage Perils

12/2/2021 (Permalink)

Candle and Laptop

Losing power can be annoying anytime, but especially when it’s cold and stormy outside.  When the power goes out, many things flood into your mind. Where did I put that flashlight? Do I have any batteries? Do I still have internet?  While all of these things are important, there are also serious concerns that you should consider to protect your home.  When the power goes out, several critical systems in your home are going to be offline.  Here are some things to consider: 

Sump Pumps: these pumps are located in the basement to prevent water from entering from the ground.  Without power the pump will not operate and water could enter from the sump pump pit. 

Furnaces and Heating units: even gas-powered furnaces and heating units need electricity to run the blowers/fans that push the air through ducts around the home.  Without heat, the pipes are susceptible to freezing and bursting. If the temperature outside is below freezing consider turning the faucets on just a little bit to keep water moving in the pipes.  This not only introduces warmer water from underground pipes but the movement of the water helps prevent freezing. 

Freezers:  If you haven’t thawed your freezer in a while, you may have significant ice buildup that will begin to melt and cause water to puddle at the freezer door.  You are better off putting a baking tray under the door rather than opening the door and trying to manually remove the ice.  Opening the door will cause the cold air to escape and will lead to more rapid thawing/spoiling of food if power is not restored quickly. 

Ideally, having a back-up generator is your best option for restoring power quickly, but these can be costly, especially built-in units.  If you do have a generator (portable or built-in) make sure it is wired and ready to provide power to the critical systems above. 

If you do experience storm damage, call the experts at SERVPRO!