How should I prepare for a monsoon power outage?
Prepare before monsoon season, which runs June 15 to September 30, by keeping flashlights and batteries handy, charging phones and medical equipment when storms are forecast, and knowing where your main breaker is. Trim tree limbs away from the service line, secure yard items and check weatherproof covers on outdoor outlets.
Monsoon season runs from June 15 to September 30, and dust storms and lightning can knock out power quickly. Keep flashlights and batteries where you can find them in the dark, and charge phones and any medical equipment when storms are forecast. Know where your main breaker is and how it works. If you rely on medical devices or have a sensitive household, think about a backup plan ahead of time. A licensed electrician can discuss options such as a properly installed generator with transfer equipment.
Trim and inspect what you can ahead of time. Keep tree limbs away from the service line to the house, secure loose items in the yard, and make sure outdoor outlets have working weatherproof covers. Small steps reduce the chance that wind turns something into a hazard, and they cost very little effort. A few minutes of walking the yard before the season starts is cheap protection against a storm doing more damage than it should.
What should I do about downed power lines after a storm?
Treat every downed or sagging line as live, even if it looks dead, and stay well back. Keep children and pets away, call the utility and 911, and do not touch anything in contact with a line, including fences and puddles. Damaged service masts and meters need utility and electrician work.
Treat every downed or sagging line as live, even if it looks dead and even if your own power is out. Stay well back, keep children and pets away, and call the utility and 911. Do not touch anything that is in contact with a line, including fences and puddles near it. If wind has damaged the service mast, the meter or the cable where it enters your house, do not touch it. That is utility-side and electrician work. Report it and keep clear until it has been made safe by the people who are equipped and licensed to do so.
Be careful with water. Never use electrical appliances near standing water, and stay out of flooded garages or areas where outlets and cords may be submerged. If the water level has reached outlets or the panel, stay out and call for help rather than trying to turn power off yourself. A flooded garage or utility room is not worth entering for anything, no matter how small the item you want to retrieve.
What should I unplug during a power outage?
Unplug computers, televisions and other sensitive electronics, and consider switching off the air conditioner at the thermostat so it does not restart all at once. Leave one light switched on so you know when power returns. Never use a gas oven or charcoal grill indoors, because of carbon monoxide.
Unplug computers, televisions and other sensitive electronics, and consider switching off the air conditioner at the thermostat so it does not restart all at once. Leave a single light switched on so you can tell when power has returned. Avoid opening the refrigerator more than necessary. Do not use candles near curtains or in dust-filled rooms. Never use a gas oven or a charcoal grill to heat the home or cook indoors, since both can produce carbon monoxide, which cannot be seen or smelled.
Plan for the heat if an outage lasts. In an Arizona summer, a long outage becomes a health matter. Know where you can go to cool off, check on elderly neighbors, and keep water on hand. Sun City and Sun City West residents especially benefit from a plan that includes friends or family nearby. A simple list of neighbors to check on, with their phone numbers, is worth writing down before the season begins.
Is it safe to use a generator during an outage?
Generators are safe only when used correctly. Run portable generators outdoors, well away from windows, doors and vents, never in a garage, and keep a carbon monoxide alarm inside. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet. A licensed electrician can install a proper transfer switch or inlet.
Portable generators must be used outdoors, well away from windows, doors and vents, because they produce carbon monoxide that can kill quickly. Never run one in a garage, even with the door open, and keep a working carbon monoxide alarm inside the home. Do not plug a generator into a wall outlet or feed the house through a dryer outlet. That sends power back out onto the lines and can seriously injure utility workers. A licensed electrician can install a proper transfer switch or inlet so the connection is safe and legal.
Keep a battery-powered radio or phone power bank available for updates. Many utilities post restoration estimates online, and knowing the status helps you decide whether to wait or relocate. Avoid using many phone calls for non-urgent questions so emergency lines stay open for people in danger. If you cannot reach the utility by phone, its website or app usually lets you report the problem online instead.
What should I do when power comes back after an outage?
Wait several minutes, then bring appliances back one at a time rather than all at once, especially the air conditioner with its large starting load. If lights seem unusually bright or dim, or the panel buzzes, switch off sensitive loads and call an electrician. Photograph any damage for insurance.
Restoration often arrives with surges or on-and-off flickers. Wait several minutes before turning appliances back on, and bring them back one at a time rather than all at once, especially the air conditioner, which has a large starting load. If lights seem unusually bright or dim, or you hear buzzing from the panel, switch off sensitive loads and call an electrician. A whole house surge protector helps shield equipment during these swings, though it cannot promise protection from every possible event.
Document damage for insurance with photos before cleaning up, and keep receipts for any emergency repairs. Do not discard damaged electronics until you have recorded them. An electrician can provide a written description of damage to wiring or equipment if your insurer asks for it. Take dated photos from a safe distance, and note the time that the power went out and when it returned.
When should I call an electrician after a storm?
Call an electrician if you smell burning, see scorch marks, find water in the panel or at the meter, or if breakers will not reset or trip repeatedly. Also call if outlets or fixtures stopped working and a GFCI and breaker check does not restore them. Never open a wet panel.
Call if you smell burning, see scorch marks, find water in the panel or at the meter, or if breakers will not reset or trip repeatedly. Also call if outlets or fixtures stopped working after the storm and a quick GFCI and breaker check does not bring them back. Do not open a wet panel or touch electrical equipment while standing in water. Turn off what you safely can, keep clear and call. Water and electricity create serious hazards, and flooded or damp equipment often needs a professional inspection before it is used again.
If your area has repeated outages, consider longer-term options with a licensed electrician: surge protection, a properly installed generator with a transfer switch, or battery backup for critical loads. The right choice depends on your needs, and an assessment of your panel and loads comes first. Planning ahead lets you choose equipment calmly, rather than buying whatever is left after the next big storm.