While you can’t prevent a power outage, you can lessen the discomfort and damage it may cause by preparing ahead. It doesn’t take long or require an investment to protect your home and family and ensure a greater degree of comfort.
Sign up for text or email alerts when outages occur, especially if you’re away from home on a routine basis.
Have an adequate supply of candles and matches, as well as fresh batteries for flashlights and radios.
Invest in a phone charger for your car if you rely on a cell phone for communication. You can charge a low battery by driving or idling your car in the driveway.
Prepare a list of emergency numbers, especially if you or family members have any health issues.
Keep extra canned food in the pantry that’s easy to heat to avoid opening the freezer or refrigerator. Never bring a gas or charcoal barbecue into the garage or home to cook or provide heat. Both emit dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (CO).
Have a professional inspect your fireplace annually. It can provide heat during a power outage but must be clean to prevent chimney fires or deadly CO from entering your home.
Test your CO detectors monthly and replace any weak batteries. Smoke detector batteries should be checked at least once a year.
Turn off your heating system at the circuit breaker when the power goes out, even for a short period. As utility workers restore the power, power surges are common that can damage your equipment. You can also add a surge protector to its circuit to automatically shut it off to prevent serious damage.If you have a heat pump, ask your HVAC contractor how to start it if there's been an extended outage. The heat pump needs to warm its lubricants before starting the heating cycle, whose length varies depending on the heat pump’s size.
The pros at Air Assurance can help you protect your home and HVAC system during a power outage. We've provided top-notch HVAC services for Broken Arrow homeowners for more than 30 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Vectors. 1/Shutterstock”