Causes of Blackouts in Home

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Causes of Blackouts

You flip the switch and nothing happens. The power’s out again but what could be causing it? There are a number of reasons why you could be experiencing a blackout. Let’s look at some common Causes of Blackouts at home.

External Causes of Power Outages

There are two basic types of power outages, external and internal. External power outages mean that something has disrupted power somewhere outside of your home/property. 

In those cases, you usually just have to wait until the power company can restore power. The only thing you might need to do is inform the company that you have no power to your home and wait for them to fix it. Here are some common external causes of power outages.

Storms

Inclement weather can disrupt power in various ways. Lightning can strike and damage electrical equipment and trees can fall on power lines and bring them down. 

Earthquakes

Earthquakes can also cause their own problems by damaging power plants and power lines. They can even break and bring live lines down onto the street. Always try to avoid being close to power lines during an earthquake for safety’s sake!

Small Animals

Electrical equipment has shields to keep small animals from getting inside. Unfortunately, this still happens from time to time. Little bodies can receive quite a shock, causing a short circuit and disrupting power.

Internal Causes of Power Outages

Less often, something might happen inside the home to cause a power outage. Here are a few potential causes.

Overloaded Power Boards

Power boards are handy for expanding the available outlets in your home. But you’ve got to be careful not to overload them. Too many devices plugged into the same outlet can cause them to trip and cause a power outage. It’s usually just a matter of resetting them. However, if the board is still overloaded, it will keep happening.

Tripped Circuit Breaker

Another possible cause of an internal outage is a tripped circuit breaker. This will happen when there is an overload or some other problem with the electrical system in your home. 

The circuit breaker trips as a safety precaution to avoid fires or damage to your electronic devices. Again, you usually just have to turn the circuit breaker back on, but if there is another problem, it will keep tripping and you’ll need to investigate. 

Problems Caused by An Outage

In today’s electronic world, we can’t live with a power outage for too long. Food starts spoiling in the fridge, your home starts getting too hot or too cold, there are no lights in the evening, and you can’t charge your phones and other electronic devices. 

If the cause of the outage is external, there isn’t much you can do except wait for the power company to fix the problem. Just make sure they’re aware of it, sit back and relax. If your outage is caused by an internal problem, you may need to call an electrician. An overloaded power board is one thing, but breakers that keep tripping indicate there is an electrical problem somewhere in the home that needs to be addressed.

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