Common Storm Related Electrical Problems

When the power goes out, it’s always an emergency. The air conditioning shuts off and the lights are out, worst of all the fridge isn’t working so all the food inside becomes a ticking time bomb. What most people don’t realise is that the majority of storm-related electrical faults are caused by 2 issues that are easily fixed around your home. Lightning, and water.

SURGE PROTECTION

Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and generally, when there’s rain there’s lightning, and that’s the problem. Lightning strikes directly on or nearby your house create surges that can destroy appliances in your homes such as TVs, computers, ovens and other expensive appliances.

HOW DO YOU FIX ELECTRICAL SURGE PROBLEMS?

One way (not the best) to limit your risk is to have surge protective power boards in between your expensive appliances and the electrical outlet.

The best way is to have a whole house surge protector installed into your switchboard. This creates surge protection between your entire house and the power lines coming in from the street. It costs much less than buying enough surge protective power boards to cover every power outlet in your home, and you get the peace of mind that every single appliance as well as the wiring throughout your home, is protected too.

SAFETY SWITCH

There’s a saying among sparky’s that “surge protectors save equipment, safety switches save lives “. This is an important thing to note because having a surge protector doesn’t mean that your kids will be OK if they decide to stick a fork into the power outlet.

Safety concerns aside, a safety switch is still very useful during storms as it can proactively cut the power if there are any water leaks that are interacting with electrical wiring. That’s definitely a good thing. In this scenario when the power goes out you could then selectively turn on and test the circuits throughout the house to narrow down where the electrical fault is occurring (which will be useful when the electrician arrives).

HOW DO YOU FIX IT?

Making sure that your house is watertight prior to storm season will help a lot, as well as clearing gutters to make sure that excess water is flowing in the right direction, rather than backing up and draining out of a light fitting in your home.

The Fallons’ Electrical Department has been gearing up for storm season for months and is waiting for the inevitable tidal wave of emergency calls when the power goes out. Of course, if that happens to you they will be there with a smile to get you back up and running within minimal fuss, but if you’d rather take a proactive approach and ensure your house will weather the storm this year then you can call us to book in a preventative checkup.

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