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Winter Power Outages Barrington

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Winter Power Outages 8 Ways to Stay Safe in Barrington

What’s the worst part of a winter power outage?

Let’s imagine more than a foot and half of snow clogs the roads. Let’s imagine the temperature sits right around 25 degrees. And let’s imagine the power goes out.

What would you miss most? What would be the worst part of a winter power outage for you? Take a second to think about it

How well you’ll survive a long winter power outage, depends on whether you and your family have a standby generator to cover you when the power goes out.

Blizzard Blackouts = Long Winter Power Outages

Before we get to the winter power outage tips, let’s take a second to consider why a winter outage takes so much longer to repair than a summer one.

  • When snowfall downs a power lines, it often does so in many places, creating more damage.
  • In addition, snow often buries the line it damages, delaying repair.
  • Finally, snow makes it harder for repair technicians to reach the damaged lines. They’ll be stuck in their homes as well.

Winter Power Outage without a Backup Generator

If you don’t have a way to keep the heat and electricity running in your house, you need strategies to contend with the cold and darkness of a winter power outage.

  1. Dress Right

This one’s a no-brainer. Dressing in layers helps you retain body heat.

As you likely know, the majority of your body heat escapes through your head and your feet, so wear your socks and hat — even inside.

  1. Get the Sleeping Bags

If the extreme cold is making it hard to sleep, hop in your sleeping bag under the covers.

  1. Let the faucets trickle

This one doesn’t keep you more comfortable but it does keep your situation going from bad to worse.

If the heat in your house drops too drastically, the water in your pipes can freeze and burst— massive plumbing emergency.

Running water at a trickle through the faucet helps prevent freezing.

Winter Power Outages With a Backup Generator

If you do have a powerful backup generator, a winter power outage will look a little different for you.

  1. Enjoy the Warmth and Comfort

As soon as the power falls offline, your backup generator will activate on its own. While your neighbors contend with the cold and the darkness, you can play PS4 or stream Netflix on your 60 inch television, with the heat cranked up, while running a load of laundry in the dryer.

The Scoop on Standby Generators

Connected to your natural gas or liquid propane line, standby generators burn fossil fuels to produce electricity. Your standby generator will atomically activate as soon as it detects the power is off — you won’t have to set foot in the raging blizzard to keep your lights on.

Unlike smaller generators with a limited fuel tank, standby generators NEVER run out of fuel. Your standby generator will run for as long as the power stays out.

Onto the big pressing question…

What can you run with a standby generator?

  • 10 separate lighting circuits
  • An electric oven
  • Multiple televisions
  • Your heating system
  • Your washing machine
  • Your dryer
  • A Jacuzzi tub

Basically, ANYTHING you want, need, or could ever dream of.

Winter Power Outage: Wrap-up

Unless you have a backup generator, you need to stay vigilant to fight off the cold and darkness of the blackout. We hope our tips help keep you warm and sane.

If you have a backup generator, you can wait out the bitter storm in warmth and comfort. You should be nice and invite your neighbors over to get out of the cold.

Since this blog was all about good tips, we have a bonus tip for you. If you don’t have a backup generator, contact us to talk about pricing and installing a backup generator.

Be Prepared

Protect your possessions from power surge damage with Wayne P Leonard. Call us today to schedule an appointment and take action!

Call now

surge protector, fried outlet

Common Causes of Power Surges Barrington

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Common Causes of Electrical Power Surges And What You Can Do About Them in Barrington

The unseen hazard can cause $5 to $6 million worth of damage every year according to the National Lightning Safety Institute. By keeping your home safe from power issues is important as a home owner, including checking your wiring and ensuring all your appliances are working. 
Keep your home safe from power issues is important. This includes checking 

What is a Power Surge?

Power surges are unexpected and unavoidable events that cause an upward spike in power supply of a home’s outlets. Most appliances draw about 120-volts of power from a single given outlet. 

An intense sudden burst of power such as this can cause plugged in appliances to overheat, malfunction or in some cases catch on fire. 

1. Overloading Outlets or Circuits

Your outlets have their limits too, just like your appliances. But, by attaching too many to one single outlet can force more to that specific outlet causing a surge. 

The most common culprit of this is during the holidays, when the abundance of lights, power cords, and other devices that are ran constantly. By using timers and weather proof cords for outdoor lights can help prevent surges. 

Numerous outlets in homes maybe supplied by a single circuit. Plugging in too many appliances or one that requires more power than the circuit can produce, this will overload or blow the circuit causing damage to the overall wiring of that outlet or to your appliance. Using grounded power strip or surge protector can just very well save your outlet and your device. If you suspect a wiring problem, the wiring may need to be distributed across multiple circuits by a professional electrician. Alternatively, if all the electrical outlets in one room are operating on a single circuit, the culprit could be the circuit itself.

2. Damaged and Exposed Wiring

Exposed wiring is dangerous in itself, but wiring in the walls of your home can pose great threats. Improper care of the exterior and care of your home may cause for pests such as mice and squirrels to get inside your walls and nibble at the wires. The exposed wiring then allows for electricity to roam freely throughout the walls with ways to close the circuit. This can cause for fires if the wiring is not encased in tubing and is touching insulation. 

3. Lightning

Lighting is pure electricity and can cause a surge of electricity to your outlets if it strikes near your house. Always unplug your electrical devices at the first hint of a storm. They do not stand a chance against the raw voltage of a lightning strike. About 30 000 000 lightning flashes strike the ground annually in the USA, and it’s not true that it won’t hit the same target twice.

4. High-Energy Electrics

Appliances and machines that use a lot of energy, like air-conditioners can cause a power surge when they are first switched on.

These high-powered devices draw a huge amount of voltage through your building’s circuitry. Any electrical device along the way may become caught up in this flood of electricity, leading to damage. Flickering lights are a tell-tale sign of power spikes due to these kinds of appliances.

5. Power Outages Can Mean Power Surges

Believe it or not, no power can lead to too much power in your home’s electrical system. When the power is switched back on, the burst of power from EVERYTHING coming back on at once can overload your home’s electrical system causing a power surge and damage some devices. 

6. Take Care with Cords

Be careful where you place and run extension cords. Rugs and other obstructions running over or placed nearby cords and outlets are a fire hazard. Anything that could catch fire should be removed away from any cords, outlets, and wires. Putting up decor during the holiday season typically requires using an often chaotic arrangement of extension cords, outlets, and power strips to power all of the lights and accessories. Because of this, you should be vigilant about where cords and other electrical accessories are located and take precautions to relocate certain hazardous items.

7. Use Surge Protectors

Power surges, while mostly rare, can damage or destroy electronic devices, appliances, and potentially damage your home’s wiring. Install surge protectors to help guard against this risk to home electrical systems and appliances from high voltage surges. These devices can be installed on individual outlets or as entire home protection systems.

Surge protectors cannot prevent a power surge from affecting your home, but they can protect individual devices from damage or destruction. A good idea is to look for a surge protector power strip to protect multiple devices plugged into a single outlet. During the holidays, taking extra precautions to protect your home electrical wiring, lighting, and devices is extremely important.

Be Prepared

Protect your possessions from power surge damage with Wayne P Leonard. Call us today to schedule an appointment and take action!

Call now

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Prepare for Fall With an Electrical Checklist Barrington

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Prepare For Fall With An Electrical Checklist in Barrington

Evenings get chilly and days get shorter once fall comes around. Make yourself prepared with our Fall Electrical Checklist!

1. Consider installing landscape lighting.

With not as much daylight as the summer months, being able to stay outside gets to be difficult. That can change when landscape lighting installation becomes part of the overall equation for a home, since it allows for an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere and more security for the home’s residents. If you’re proud of your landscaping efforts, this is the perfect opportunity to show it off.

This type of subtle landscaping lights tend to offer a cost effective alternative to the glaring 120-volt systems that most people attempt to use.  

2. Make sure your back up power is in working order.

When storms hit, the last thing you want is for the power to get cut out. It’s always a good idea to have tons of batteries for flash lights and blankets. It’s a good rule of thumb to have a back up generator if you are around an area that has power lines that can pose a problem with trees during storms. 

3. Test your GFCI circuit breakers and/or outlets to make sure they are operating correctly.

While significant improvements have been made in electrical safety over the years, the threat of accidental electrocution remains present and you need to take the steps necessary in avoiding it. The best way is by installing a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) which will cut off power immediately once it detects a contrast between input and output current, thanks to its built-in circuit breaker. Without a GFCI outlet installed in your home, areas where water is more likely to come into contact with electricity like bathrooms and garages are suddenly much more dangerous. It may even result in a person being electrocuted once they come into contact with an outlet. Upgrading with a GFCI outlet will save lives and keep you more relaxed.

As we start more outdoor leaf blowing and projects, and start planning our holiday light displays, we need our outdoor power more than ever. Test your GFCI outlets–press the test button and if it engages then it is working properly. Press the reset button to re-energize the circuit breaker or outlet.

4. Make sure no tree branches are touching any of your power lines.

In the case of a storm, or a very windy day, branches could interfere with your power. If you have branches touching power lines, call the power company and they will trim at no cost to you. Remember to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. And remember, the detectors need to be replaced every 10 years.

Be Cautious

Check to be sure tree growth or dying branches aren’t on wires around your home. Schedule a professional tree service to remove these branches. DO NOT do alone.

5. Water Heater Outlets

This is likely something that some homeowners don’t often notice—until something goes wrong. As the temperature drops, it makes a great deal of sense to consider all of the problems that may occur with this particular appliance.

Leaks within pipes for water heater outlets can be evident from the top or bottom. There may minimal or no hot water available. It might take an extended period of time for water to reheat because the vent flue is dirty or because of low pressure or simply be too hot. Finally, keeping the pilot or burner lit becomes a challenge or lighting the pilot simply becomes impossible.

6. Interior Lighting Upgrades

Haunted houses are a popular attraction during the fall, but your home may resemble one without any working or outdated lights. At Wayne P Leonard Electric, we offer several lighting upgrades that will shed new light into your kitchen, bathroom, family room, and more. We offer cabinet lighting, accent lighting, artwork accents, bathroom lighting, and so much more. Any guest will feel immediately welcome into your home thanks to warming, eye-catching lighting that enhances indoor atmosphere. Plus, you will be able to cook, clean, read, and navigate in your home so much more effectively.

7. Inspect your extension cords

with the holidays coming up, you’re going to want to make sure your extension cords are in good shape and not damaged or frayed. Any extension cords you’re planning on using outdoors should be weather-rated. Inside, make sure you use surge protectors and power strips with internal overload protection, and make sure you minimize the amount of adapters plugged into a single outlet.

8. Check Your Alarms

The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning increases significantly in winter. That’s because people are using heating systems, water heaters, and any other gas, oil, wood, or coal appliances in colder months. Be proactive: Install and test detectors before you turn on the heating equipment.

Smoke detectors should be tested every month to ensure they are working properly. Be sure to check before you get too busy during the holidays! Detectors should be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of your home. Wayne P Leonard electricians are happy to install or test your smoke detectors!

Wayne P Leonard can fix any electrical problems — safely and quickly. Our team of electricians is on call to respond to any electrical emergency you may have. No matter your electrical need, Wayne P Leonard’s team of electricians in the Chicagoland area is here to serve you. Call now to schedule service or a free estimate for your new installation.

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Winter Electrical Safety Tips Barrington

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Winter Electrical Safety Tips And What You Can Do About Them in Barrington

Compared to all the other seasons, winter may be the most dangerous — and that’s without even factoring in the nerve racking experience of driving in the ice and snow. For example, carbon monoxide kills and injures more people during winter and more deadly and destructive house fires during the coldest months of the year.  To help keep all of you safe, we’ve put together some winter electrical safety tips to limit the risk of carbon monoxide and electrical fires.

Winter Electrical Safety Tips: Christmas Lights

Holiday lights are meant to bring cheer and ambience — not danger. Good news: you can almost completely eliminate the hazard of Christmas lights by taking the right precautions.

  • Inspect wiring for damage. — If the wiring on your Christmas lights is torn, it can throw sparks that start a fire inside or out.
  • Don’t hang lights on a dry tree. — A fire-resistant artificial tree is safest, but if you want to go for the classic live tree, make certain that you keep your tree well-watered and wet. In a matter of minutes, sparks and excess heat can turn a dry tree into a bonfire.

Winter Electrical Safety Tips: Electric Heaters Safety

Due to the cold winter weather, you need to find additional ways to stay warm. For both financial and safety reasons, you shouldn’t rely on these supplemental options long term.

Space heaters

  • Keep anything flammable away from the space heater front, including paper, drapes, pillows, blankets.
  • Make sure the space heater plug is in good shape. A beaten-up plug can start fires.

Electric Blanket

  • Never fall asleep with your electric blanket on.
  • Do not cover your electric blanket with another blanket. Even if it’s comfortable to use both, the extra blanket can act like kindling.

Winter Electrical Safety Tips: Avoid carbon monoxide dangers

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an odorless gas that kills at high concentrations and causes irreversible injuries at lower levels. Since CO comes from the burning of fossil fuel, Carbon Monoxide poisoning more frequently occurs during winter.

NEVER use a camp stove inside

This often proves to be a problem during power outages. With no electricity your boiler won’t boil and your furnace won’t blow. You’ll get really cold — in a hurry.

No matter how cold you get, never use a camp stove or any fossil fuel burner inside for heat. While you’ll feel warmer, you and your family will unknowingly breathe in this toxic gas.

Electrical Safety Inspection

The biggest risk of electrical fires isn’t seasonal. It isn’t the misuse of Christmas lights, space heater, or electric blankets.

Its outdated equipment in your home electrical system — outdated equipment being asked to do a crucial job.

The most common fire-starting electrical components include:

  • Outdated Fuse boxes
  • Faulty Electrical Panels
  • Damaged Wiring

The danger is that while these necessary components may be a risk to catch fire, they don’t look dangerous to the untrained eye.

Only an experienced electrician can determine if your electrical components are safe. As part of a safety inspection, Wayne P Leonard electricians will examine your electrical system top to bottom — to ensure you and your family are safe.

Contact us to schedule an electrical inspection today.

Winter Electrical safety tips: Wrap-up

The winter brings some inevitabilities like snow, ice, and Christmas carols starting way too early. However, the winter season doesn’t need to mean more house electrical fires and more cases of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Want to be even more certain you’ll stay safe this winter? Contact Wayne P Leonard for an electrical safety inspection or to schedule a standby generator inspection.

Be Prepared

Protect your possessions from power surge damage with Wayne P Leonard. Call us today to schedule an appointment and take action!

Call now

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