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Car Covered With Snow After Winter Storm. Vehicle Parked Snowy T

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

People Walking Through City Street Covered With Snow During Heav

Winter Electrical Safety Tips Schaumburg

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Winter Electrical Safety Tips And What You Can Do With Them in Schaumburg

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.

We know the winter can be a hectic, stressful time so our tips are easy, simple, and intuitive. We want you stay safe AND have as stress-free of a holiday as possible.

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.

Even though holiday lights are meant to make people happy, if safety is neglected, they can prove to be a not-so-festive fire hazard.

  • 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.

All the same, if you do want to keep warmer with supplemental heaters, do it right — follow these winter electrical safety tips.

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.
  • Do not run cords underneath area rugs. This can start a fire.

Electric Blanket

  • Never fall asleep with your electric blanket on.
  • Make sure the plug and cord are in good shape, otherwise it can pose a fire hazard.
  • 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

People Walking Through City Street Covered With Snow During Heav

Winter Electrical Safety Tips Barrington

, , , , , , , , ,

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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