Table of Contents
What Caused the Power Outage
Regardless of the cause or duration, these outages have one thing in common: multiple households, rather than one, lose electric service. If only one home experiences an outage, the problem may be with the house’s electrical system rather than the grid or distribution facilities.
Storm Damage
It only takes crews 2 to 3 hours to repair downed wires, but when storms are bigger, you can be without power for days and sometimes weeks. The extent of the damage and the efficiency of your local power crews will make a big difference.
Overloaded Circuits and Overuse
At home, when you use too many devices at the same time, you may experience a power outage due to burned-out circuits. This is usually an easy fix. All you need to do is head to the circuit breaker and flip the activated switch. You won’t be able to get back to what you were doing, and you may need to look for something like a portable power station to provide the extra power needed for whatever task is at hand.
Equipment Failure
When the demand for electricity in a particular area is high, not all equipment can handle such a large load. As a result, the equipment will fail and require repairs. Depending on the equipment, failure can mean hours or days without power.
Ways to Know How Long the Power Outage Lasts
Notification from local electricity boards
Hopefully, your local electric utility has a system in place that sends alerts to their service area in the event of a power outage. This is usually the best way to know how long the outage will last.
Estimates based on past power outages
If your area has experienced a power outage before, you may be able to get an idea of how long it lasted. If you can recall another line failure, you can use that as a reference point for this one.
Notification from local electricity boards
If you do want a simple answer, try calling the electric company. They can explain the situation and let you know exactly what they are doing to help solve the problem!
Prepare for Short & Long-term Outages
For those who want to keep their lights and appliances running during an outage, having a solar system that pairs a portable power station with solar panels will allow you to continue generating and storing electricity even after your stored power runs out. This can be a long term and sustainable way to continue your life when the power company doesn’t have a solution for you, and a good idea to help people you save money on your electric bill when there are no power outages during the week.
Final Thoughts
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