When power outages occur, it is often a good idea to be prepared. After all, these events often come with a fair amount of uncertainty about how and when they will be resolved. This makes preparation essential for preventing boredom, injuries, accidents and other hassles associated with this inconvenience.
While most of the tips and tricks outlined below have to do with what to do during a power outage, it is also worth discussing what to do before a power outage. In particular, working with an electrician to ensure that your home is not susceptible to outages can be beneficial. Now, it is the case that most outages are the result of a large grid failure rather than the fault of a single home. However, keeping your wiring and electrical box up-to-date can prevent further issues, like sparking and damaging your electrical systems.
Therefore, it is beneficial to consult with your electrician periodically. Now, onto some of the best tips and tricks for power outages, brought to your attention in part by colzelectric.com.
Ensure You Have Sufficient Lighting
Lighting has become so integrated with our society that to be without it seems nearly impossible. However, as anyone who has been through a power outage can assure you, lighting is actually fairly suspect. So, you should make sure you keep several alternative light sources available in your home. This includes things like candles, solar-powered lights, battery-operated flashlights or even just backup power sources for your mobile device’s flashlight.
Ensure You Have Sufficient Water
Once you can see around your home, power outages lose some of their power and terror. Still, it is not sufficient preparation to be able to see. You must also have sufficient water in case the power outage lasts longer than a few hours. When these events last days or weeks, having a reliable water source can make a big difference in the comfort and safety of your home.
Many people store water in their homes on the off chance that an electrician somewhere ends up having to fix an issue with the power grid. This involves storing large amounts of water in a secure location, like a basement or out-building. You may also want to invest in unpowered water filtration systems if you have an available water supply nearby.
Keep Your Perishable Food Safe
One of the most important things to remember during power outages is not to open the fridge. As these are sealed units, they will retain their coolness for much longer when not exposed to the ambient temperature. This can help protect your perishable foods from spoiling prematurely.
Still, this is only a temporary solution and one that does have a finite time limit. Therefore, it can also help you to consider other insulated options for your foods, like ice chests or coolers. If you are in a real pinch, consider repurposing your microwave by adding ice and perishable foods to it.
Get Yourself Analog Activities to Pass the Time
Finally, you will need to keep yourself entertained while the power outage is occurring. Mobile devices solve many of our modern entertainment needs, but for group activities, they are certainly lacking. Instead, it helps to have a deck of cards, dice, board games, yard games or other activities that you can do alone or with the whole family. Books are also a great way to pass the time.
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