Power Outage Bendigo - What you should do - First 2 Steps
Most of us have come to accept free flowing electricity as a given and without it, our modern way of life wouldn’t be possible. Kids today wouldn’t even consider the question - “What should I do if the power goes out?”. This is because our modern electric systems are refined and power outages are very rare these days. Kids today can be raised and only ever experience a power outage perhaps two or three times. That’s pretty amazing.
But nothing is perfect and they do still occur, so it’s still important to understand some basic concepts of what to do when it happens. These steps should be taken before considering calling your local Bendigo electrician.
When the power goes out - Steps to take
Sometimes there can be a flash of the power turning off and on again. This happens usually during extreme weather conditions. Mostly the electricity won’t shut off, but sometimes the safety switches can be triggered, which detect abnormalities, and shut off the power.
No matter how or why the power shuts off, there are certain steps that should be taken initially. Here we will go through some tips and advice on what you should do during a power outage Bendigo situation.
1. Turn off appliances - TVs and Desktop Computers
1. Turn off appliances - TVs and Desktop Computers
1. Turn off appliances - TVs and Desktop Computers
You may be working at home on your desktop PC or watching TV, then suddenly the power goes out. Before you go check the Meter Box to see if it was a temporary black out and the safety switches were triggered, all appliances must be turned off!
So make sure that the power point switches are off for any appliances that were on before the power went out.
This is because when the power comes back on, even if that’s when you switch the safety switches back to the ‘on’ position, a sudden surge of electricity runs through the entire system. This surge can overload your expensive appliances and blow a fuse.
This isn’t 100% essential as appliances have built in surge protection, however to avoid any possibility, you can eliminate any risk by just turning them off at the wall.
2. Confirm with Neighbors - Do they have power?
1. Turn off appliances - TVs and Desktop Computers
1. Turn off appliances - TVs and Desktop Computers
Once you have performed step 1, before calling the electricity distributor or an electrician, you should check if the black out is confined to only your house or if it is more widespread. You can simply look out your window, if you can see your neighbors across the street, see if they have any lights on. Otherwise go for a short walk and knock on their door to confirm if the power outage Bendigo black out has also affected them.
While you are on your way to your neighbors, keep your eyes out for overhead wires. If they have been damaged by a falling tree or by the wind, STAY CLEAR!
Any exposed wires are extremely dangerous, do not go anywhere near them and stay inside. This is a situation where you should call 000.
So depending on the outcome with your neighbors will determine what actions you should take. If they have power, then the situation is isolated to your home. In this instance you can check your safety switches and turn them on to see if things go back to normal.
If things do not go back to normal, now it’s time to call a local electrical company for an electrician.
If however the problem is widespread and your neighbors don’t have power either, call the power distributor to inform them. The power distributor is different from the power retailer.
At the moment, Powercor is the distributor of Bendigo.
For any faults, call them on 13 24 12