Oh no! The power went out right at the height of the most exciting rugby match in ages. Sure, you’ll get to find out what happens later, but it isn’t the same as watching the match in all its nail-biting splendour.
After ranting and screaming at the black TV in helpless rage, you might be wondering what caused this bleak turn of events. Let’s look at some common causes of no power at home.
External Causes of Power Outages
If an external issue has caused your power outage, there is little you can do to fix it. You can call the electric company to make sure they’re aware of the issue, but then you just have to wait until it gets resolved.
1. Storms
Powerful wind storms can knock over trees or power poles, causing a loss of electricity at home for every house that depends on that line.
2. Car Accidents
Another cause of fallen power poles is when sleepy or drunk drivers run off the road and crash their cars into the pole.
3. Earthquakes
Strong earthquakes can cause widespread damage to both power plants and the power lines running to your home.
4. Small Animals
Most electrical equipment is equipped with protection against small animals, but it doesn’t always work. On occasion a little animal can get inside and spark a short circuit, damaging the equipment and disrupting power.
5. Heavy Demand
The power grid can only transport so much power at once. At times of heavy demand, such as during a heatwave when everyone has their AC on, the system can become overburdened and fail.
Internal Causes of Power Outages
Of course, external causes aren’t the only culprits in power outages. It’s possible that faulty equipment in your home is causing your power woes.
6. A Tripped Fuse
As a safety feature in your home, fuse boxes will disrupt power if there is an issue detected. Did you just turn on an appliance when the power went out? It’s likely that this is the problem. Check your box to restore power.
7. Circuit Breakers
Circuit breakers are another safety feature that will break the electrical circuit when it is being overloaded. This helps prevent accidental electrocutions and even house fires. However, faulty circuit breakers might go off when there isn’t a problem, leaving you in the dark. A quick trip to the circuit breaker box should get you fixed up.
Problems Caused by Power Outages
Power outages aren’t just annoying, they can also cause some serious issues. If the outage continues overnight, you won’t have lights unless you have some kind of non-electrical backup source. You may not have a way to cook your food or heat (or cool) your home. If it goes on long enough, you might even lose food that spoils in the fridge.
Restoring Power
For external causes, you’ll just need to call your power provider to ensure they are aware of the problem. All you can do is wait until they resolve the issue.
For internal issues, you can turn back on a tripped fuse. However, if there are more serious issues at work, it’s best to call a professional to examine your system.