Summer months mean there are a lot of homes and businesses placing a great deal of pressure on the current power grid. Air conditioners are huge power draws. When thousands of people run their air conditioners and other appliances at the same time, there may be outages. So, what do you do when there is a power outage? Your electrician in Beverly Hills has a few tips for you.
1-Do not open the refrigerator. Keep the doors closed in order to keep the cold air inside preserving your food for several hours. Most times, power outages are short lived and your food will be safe to eat when the power does resume.
2-Open the windows to let in air, but keep the shades drawn to block the sun’s hot rays.
3-Unplug all computer equipment. When the power does come back on, a surge could destroy the sensitive components. Surge protectors will not be enough to protect the equipment. Unplug televisions, small kitchen appliances and radios. The professionals at H Electric can install whole house surge protectors to protect your valuable appliances in the event of an outage and you are not home.
4-Turn off all light switches. You don’t want to overwork the grid when it does come back up. It is okay to leave one light on to let you know when the power has been restored.
5-If you have a portable generator, make sure you use it correctly. Never try and use a portable generator indoors. Place it far enough away from the house to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
If you would rather avoid going without power for even an hour, you can look into standby generators. If you would like more information about how these can help you, contact your local electrician. Beverly Hills residents can rely on H Electric to explain the benefits of a standby generator as well as help with the installation of the generator.