What To Do During A Power Outage?

Mar 2, 2020

With the recent extreme weather, torrential rain and flooding many homes across the state have been left without electricity. We thought we would put together this blog to help you with the best advice on what to do when you experience a power outage.

If you experience a power outage the first thing to do is to check the AUS Grid or Endeavour Energy website to see if they are aware of the outage and whether this is part of a scheduled interruption.
If your neighbours are not experiencing this power outage and it is not listed online then it is time to look to see if the problem is inside your home.

There are many reasons why you may be experiencing an electricity outage, in a lot of cases a faulty appliance or lightbulb may have blown a fuse or switched off the supply. You can check your switchboard to see if any of the trip switches are now in the off position. This will mean that it is possibly a faulty appliance or another internal issue.
We recommend disconnecting all appliances and electronics, this will also help to avoid damage from electrical surges. Once all appliances are disconnected you should flip the switch to on and then turn on lights and reconnect appliances one by one so you can figure out what is tripping the switch.  If this is something you are uncomfortable or not confident with contact our team and one of our expert team members will be able to help you.

If this power outage is affecting not just your home but the whole area, we recommend the following steps;

  • Keeping refrigerators and freezers closed. The reason for this is that NSW Food Authority advises that food can usually last up to 4 hours without spoiling. The freezer usually will not defrost and allow food to spoil for at least 24 hours if the door is kept shut. (Take note of when the power cut out so that you can judge if your food is safe)
  • If you do have access to a generator, ensure that is used outdoors and away from windows as they can produce high levels of carbon monoxide. Generators need to be used with extreme caution.
  • Switch off and unplug all appliances and electronics. Leave one light switched on so that you are aware of power being restored as soon as it does.
  • If it is safe to go somewhere else where they have power while you wait for yours to return then do so.
  • Also check on any neighbours who you think could do with assistance such as the elderly.

In today’s world we have become so reliant on energy in our day to day life we rarely prepare for the event of having no electricity. We recommend having a supply of alternative forms of heat and light such as torches with full batteries, candles, matches and portable gas fires.

With the severe weather your switchboard may have been affected or it may just be time to upgrade. We believe that such an investment is important to your home’s safety. We pride ourselves on using high quality parts, excellent service and installation. We take responsibility for ensuring that your investment has a long life and meets high safety standards.

Give us a call on 1300 686 000 or email us at info@sapphireservices.com.au and one of our expert team will be able to help you.

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