With winter winding down, you may be grateful that you made it through without any major power outages. And as a result, you may be thinking that not installing a backup generator was a smart decision.
Perhaps you should think again. Power can go out at any time, and the warm months pose just as much of a threat to your access to electricity as winter. Here are five scenarios in which you might lose power and be thankful for having a backup generator for your home or business.
Lightning strikes
A storm doesn’t have to be a major one to cause a blackout. One lightning strike in the wrong place can disable the power company’s equipment and cause you to lose power for hours or even days. Lightning or accompanying heavy winds may also down a tree, bringing power lines down with it.
Flooding
Flooding is particularly common in spring, with rains that can last for days and runoff from melting snow and ice. Electrical equipment on or below the ground can short out and fail. If flooding is widespread, it will have to recede before the power company can even begin to make repairs. And should a late snowfall occur after the trees have begun to leaf out, the chances of broken branches increases significantly, with downed power lines being a likely result.
Animals
Small animals can cause big power outages. There’s something about the insulation on wiring that brings out a chewing instinct in squirrels, mice, rats, possums and other small creatures, causing shorts and blackouts which could be confined to a single building, or widespread, depending upon the location and function of the equipment or wiring damaged. Some animals have also been known to build nests inside electrical equipment enclosures, causing overheating and shorts, again with results that could be localized or widespread.
Human error
Everyone makes mistakes. Cars and trucks hit utility poles and bring down whole neighborhoods with them. Unauthorized electrical work, tampering, and vandalism have caused widespread power outages. Even highly trained utility company technicians have been responsible for mistakes that have caused blackouts.
Planned outages
There are times when a power company may have to plan a power outage in order to make repairs or replace old equipment. Typically, they will notify you of a planned outage, but it might last for several hours. When a lengthy outage is planned, sales of backup generators spike, and local suppliers may be hard-pressed to get them all installed in time.
It’s far better to anticipate both planned and unpredictable outages and be prepared for them with a professionally installed backup generator. You’ll be able to continue running your home or business without a hitch, and you’ll know then that you made the right decision.
For backup generator sales, installation and service in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, contact Eric M. Krise Electrical Contractor LLC: 856-769-3932.