Storm season brings numerous risks, particularly to your home’s electrical system. Some of the main concerns are long power outages, power surges, and water coming into contact with outlets or wiring. While there’s nothing you can do in situations such as a major storm that causes your home to flood, there are steps you can take to prepare for most situations. These steps help ensure your home is safe and that you always have power when you need it.
Install a Standby Generator
An issue like lightning striking a transformer or a broken tree branch downing a power line has the potential to knock out your power for days. You can use a portable generator and an extension cord to provide light and power your refrigerator. However, you will need to ensure you have plenty of gas stored to keep the generator running, and it will not power your whole house.
The better solution is to install a whole-home generator for a permanent source of backup power. This type of generator is wired directly to your house’s electrical system and controlled by a device called an automatic transfer switch. The transfer switch instantly detects a power outage and signals the generator to start, sending power to your house. Power is usually restored in 30 seconds or less.
Our electricians can help you select a generator that is large enough to power everything in your home, including your HVAC system, ensuring you can continue going about your life as usual. You also don’t need to worry about refueling the generator like you would with a portable unit. Most people choose to connect the generator to their natural gas supply, but you can also install a dedicated propane tank to fuel the generator.
Get Your Existing Generator Serviced
If you already have a whole-home generator, it’s a good idea to have an electrician service it before storm season. That way, you can make sure that it’s ready to run in case your power goes out. Servicing a generator involves tasks such as checking the spark plugs, changing the oil, filter, and air filter. You typically need to change the oil in a whole-home generator after every 100 to 200 hours of run time. If you haven’t changed the oil recently and your power is out for days, the generator could end up getting ruined due to the dirty oil not providing sufficient lubrication.
You also need to make sure that you regularly “exercise” your generator, which means turning it on and letting it run for 15-20 minutes. The main purpose of this is to ensure that everything stays properly lubricated and to prevent moisture from building up inside the motor. Exercising your generator also ensures it works properly and monitors it for any potential problems.
Upgrade to Whole-Home Surge Protection
Another thing you have to worry about during storm season is a major power surge potentially hitting your house and damaging or destroying some of your electronics or appliances. A strong power surge can also do extensive damage to your home’s wiring, outlets, switches, and electrical panel. It could even result in an electrical fire.
A whole-home surge protector serves as a gatekeeper, blocking excess voltage from flowing into your electrical system in the event of a major power surge. It still allows some current to flow, but the excess current gets redirected away from your house through the ground wire.
One thing that many people don’t realize is that minor surges from smaller spikes in power that originate within your house’s electrical system can cause serious damage. This type of internal power surge is much more common than you may think and can even happen multiple times a day, such as when your AC or even your refrigerator cycles on and off. These surges usually don’t do instant harm, but the damage adds up over time and can shorten the lifespan of sensitive electronics like computers, TVs, and smartphones, unless your home has a surge protector.
Test All of Your GFCI Outlets
Manufacturers design GFCI outlets to prevent electrocution in the event of a ground fault, which occurs when electricity escapes a circuit and fails to flow back through the neutral wire. Ground faults can occur due to water contacting electrical wires and conducting electricity or because a live wire comes into contact with anything metal. The concern with a ground fault is that the electricity will flow through your body to the ground if you touch the outlet or the metal object that the current is flowing into. GFCIs are extremely sensitive and can detect even tiny differences in the current flowing through the live and neutral wires, and will immediately stop the power from flowing if the amperage of the current in the neutral wire drops.
GFCIs are effective at preventing electrocution. However, they don’t last forever and can sometimes fail suddenly. That’s why it’s essential to test all of them monthly, especially during storm season. All you need to do is press the test button to see if the green light goes out or turns red to show you that the power to the outlet is shut off. You can then restore the power by pressing the reset button. If you have any GFCI outlets that don’t work as they should, you should have one of our electricians replace them as soon as possible to keep your home safe.
Check That Your Sump Pump Works Properly
Sump pumps are the main line of defense against preventing basements from flooding during heavy rains. When the ground is overly waterlogged, water can start seeping up through a home’s foundation and cause extensive moisture damage. In terms of your electrical system, the main concern is if the water rises high enough that it comes into contact with any outlets. Not only can water ruin the outlet, but it can also cause an electrical fire, as well as create a risk of electrocution for anyone who enters the area.
You should test your sump pump before storm season. All you need to do is pour around 5 gallons of water into the sump basin to check that the pump comes on and quickly empties the basin.
If you don’t have a whole-home generator, it’s also a good idea to buy a battery backup for your sump pump. That way, you’ll still be able to rely on it if your power is out.
Schedule an Electrical Inspection
Regular electrical inspections are the best way to prevent issues and ensure your entire electrical system is safe. If you have a newer home, you’re usually fine to have an electrician inspect your electrical system every few years. For older homes, the safest option is to schedule annual inspections. It’s also important to schedule an inspection if you notice any problems, such as circuit breakers that keep tripping or lights in different parts of your house that frequently flicker.
With more than 60 years of experience, Childers Air Plumbing & Electric is the company to turn to for professional electrical services in the Beckley, WV, area. Whether it’s installing a whole-home generator, whole-home surge protection, replacing your sump pump, or repairing any electrical issues, you can count on us to get the job done correctly for a fair price. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced electricians.
