With many parts of British Columbia receiving record breaking amounts of snow and extreme weather conditions this winter, it is important to review some proper power outage protocol and safety measures. Although most power outages only last a few hours, it is always important to be properly prepared for outages lasting longer. The licensed electricians at Expert Electric have put together some helpful tips on how to prepare for power outages and power failures.

Before a power outage or power failure occurs, it is important to have a plan that everyone in your home is familiar with. The plan does not have to be overly complicated but it should address some of the most important protocol and information such as the location of an emergency kit and additional supplies such as candles and food.

Having an emergency kit for power outages and power failures is critical. There are many different types of emergency kits on the market. Many people also choose to build their own emergency kits which is totally fine as long as they include the essentials. BC Hydro recommends including some of the following items in an emergency safety kit:

It is important to remember that these items are only the basics. The amount or volume of each item is dependent upon how many people are living in the household at the time of the power outage or power failure.

When a power outage occurs in British Columbia, the licensed electricians at Expert Electric recommend checking the BC Hydro website  as soon as possible to determine the size and scale of the outage. If it does not appear as though BC Hydro is aware of the outage, they can be notified directly at 1 800 BCHYDRO. Once you have a better understanding of the potential duration of the power outage, it is much easier to determine whether or not your emergency kit will need to be used. During power outages, it is a good idea to keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed at all times in order to prolong their temperatures.

Installing a standby emergency generator is one of the best ways to prepare for a power outage or failure. It will allow you to power all of your home’s appliances during a power outage and keep your home at a preferred temperature. There are many different types of emergency generators available. If you are interested in installing a standby emergency generator in your home, talk to the professionals at Expert Electric first.

For more information on how to prepare for power outages and power failures, please contact the licensed electricians at Expert Electric. We offer various residential and commercial electrical services including standby emergency generator installations, motion sensing lights, electrical ballast replacement and more. Call us today at 604-681-8338 or book a service appointment through our website.

This problem is similar to the heating appliance issue we started with.  Overloaded outlets are more than just a circuit-tripping annoyance, they can also become a danger quickly!  If you’re electrical panel is doing its job properly, the circuit breaker will trip before there’s a problem, but relying on a safety measure is not a safe practice.

Overloaded outlets are simply circuits that have too many things plugged into them.  This can happen by:

All of these practices can overload your outlets by putting too much demand on the circuit.  In a best case scenario, the circuit breaker trips.  The worst case leads to excess heat at the outlet, melting plugs and sockets or excess heat on the circuit which melts insulation from wiring in the walls, leading to a house fire.

Of course, even if you follow all of these protections, things can happen that are outside of your control.  That’s when your best defense is a strong safety net.  Early detection and warning for house fires is the best way to survive in an emergency.  The sooner you’re aware that there is a fire, the higher your likelihood of survival.  For the best defense: