How a qualified electrician handles power issues in the desert!
Power in the desert!
The three most power issues that we see in the desert are: power surges, brownouts, and total black outs! Let’s us take a look at each one and what we can or should do if we experience one or more of these.
Brownouts
Brownouts are where the power company lowers the voltage to a number of users. They can lower them from 10% all the up to 25% of your normal voltage. Power companies use this technique to avoid a total blackout. Brownouts can last from just minutes up to hours! A brownout can cause your lights to flicker and your appliances not to work properly. If you find yourself in a brownout you should shut down refrigerators, electrical ovens and sensitive electronics like computers or TV’s. What cases damage to these appliances? With the lower voltage your appliances try to draw more current to work properly and this is what burns out motors plus other electrical items. You can always talk to Todd Hill a qualified electrician.
Blackouts
Many of us here in the desert experience total power outages “blackouts”. The reasons for desert blackouts come from various sources: over use of power for air conditioners, pole accidents, and transform failures. The power company can even execute what is known as “rolling blackouts” in order to try to at least serve some of their customers. These blackouts can last from minutes to many days. One good thing to have is a battery backup on your computer systems so you can power them down correctly. Also having a backup generator which you can use to power your vital electrical appliances. If you have a freezer you can power that up with a portable generator if you have one. Can go a long way to saving your frozen foods. You can have a qualified electrician to help you determine which generator you need to run your vital electronics.
Surges
A surge is a voltage spike from the powerlines that comes down into your house and can affect your electronics in a very negative way. This is a power company issue and not yours; however, it can seriously cause damage to your home appliances. You might even notice your lights flickering or dimming and then you know you are experiencing a power surge. You can get surge protectors for your sensitive electronics and even can have a house wide power surge protector. This would be installed by a qualified electrician.
Qualified Electrician
In all these situations you can always contact a qualified electrician like Todd Hill. It’s always a good idea to have a professional look over your electrical wiring and off you qualified, cost effective solutions.
Finally, you can find yourself in power situations that you need to protect your electrical appliances. It’s good to know what your options are when you experience a power issue. Give us a call to discuss what you can do to protect your home and electronics during a power situation. Call Todd today for a qualified electrician!
Todd Hill
Hill Electric
(760) 772-1770
todd@electricianpalmdesert.com
http://electricianpalmdesert.com