3 Power Outage Recovery Tips to Safely Get Your Power Back

We've all had one of those days: you're at home, relaxing, when something with your power goes wrong. Maybe you were reading a book on the couch, or in the kitchen prepping for the big game, but as soon as the lights go off, you feel your whole day is in peril. It could have been caused by a curious squirrel, who damaged, tripped up, and interrupted your power supply. What do you do? You grab your flashlight and go to flip your circuit breaker. But before you do that, there are a few other things you should consider for your safety and to protect your electronic devices and appliances.

Unplug Anything Sensitive

Whether it's that beautiful flat screen TV, your smartphone, or your laptop, it's often a good idea to unplug any sensitive devices before you flip the power back on. While a surge protector can help, and you should definitely have one, it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your big-ticket items. It doesn't hurt to flip your lights off, either, as no one needs bulbs shorting out due to a sudden rush of power.

Reset Everything

Some things will come back on with no problem, especially if you had unplugged them and carefully restarted them once returned. However, a lot of your appliances will need to be reset. Digital clocks are the obvious candidates, along with your microwave. You should also pay attention to your HVAC unit, as a sudden loss of power might necessitate a manual restart. Go down the list, and make sure everything that was working before you lost power has come back on. If it didn't, reset it.

Assess Damages, and Plan for the Future

While it's possible to avoid damages to your possession (especially if you use surge protectors and other preventative items), sometimes power outages do cause damage. Replace anything that's been damaged by the outage, and make sure you replace any emergency items you used (candles, batteries, etc.) while waiting for the power to come back on. Once everything is back to normal, consider future preparations you could make to avoid problems, and implement next them.

For more tips and to prevent power outages in your home from squirrels and other critters from damaging utility wires and poles, simply contact us today!