Are You in the Dark? Tips for Restoring Power to Your Home

If you find yourself in the dark, you shouldn’t just sit there. You can take action to make sure your power comes back on as soon as possible. In some cases, the solution may be in your hands. Here are some tips for restoring power to your home.

Look Around the Neighborhood

When the power goes out, the first step is to determine if the problem is only with your house. If you look out the window and see lights at neighboring homes and businesses, the problem may be with your home’s wiring. If others also appear to be without power, report the outage to the electric company to help speed the response, then check the company’s online outage map, if available. The power company may not know about a small outage unless you report it.

Check Circuit Breakers

Next, consider whether you may have overloaded your home’s circuit breakers. If you’ve recently plugged in a new appliance or turned on a vacuum cleaner while running a space heater, for example, a breaker may have tripped. Check your electrical panel for any circuit breakers in the middle position, then turn those off and back on. If the power doesn’t come on or trips off again, it’s time for professional help. Older homes may have replaceable fuses instead of circuit breakers.

Call a Professional

Electricity can be dangerous and isn’t something amateurs should try to repair. After checking whether your home is getting power from the electric company and checking your circuit breakers, there’s not much else you can do yourself. It’s time to call a professional with the tools to diagnose and repair your problem. Search for an emergency electrical repair service or ask a neighbor for a recommendation. Many electricians can respond in minutes or hours.

Consider a Generator

If power outages are common in your area, you can make sure you always have power with a portable or whole-house generator. Gasoline-powered generators can run a few crucial appliances during outages and allow you to charge your devices. Whole-house generators require professional installation and usually run on propane or natural gas, allowing you to operate everything in your home as if there were no outage.

Whether caused by a storm, overloaded circuits in your home or something else, power outages can be annoying and even dangerous if they happen in extreme weather. But preparation, quick action, and knowing when you can’t resolve the problem yourself can speed power restoration so that you can get on with your life.