How to Keep Your Home and Family Safe When Your Power’s Out
While power outages are not a common occurrence in most places in our country, it’s important to know what to do and how to be prepared when they do happen.
Candles
For many families, there can be fond memories of times when the power has gone out. Many people have memories of playing games, eating dinner, or reading books together as a family in candlelight because of a power outage. While candles are a great solution for lighting and even warmth, to a degree, we need to be careful with them too. We should never leave lit candles unattended for long periods, and we should never keep our candles close to sheets or curtains which can be highly flammable. Do not give candles to your children to have in their room while they sleep if the outage lasts overnight.
Gas Devices
There may be a temptation to use gas-powered devices inside your house during a power outage, especially if the blackout is in the middle of a storm. Using any gas-fuelled items such as camp stoves, barbecues, or generators inside your house can not only increase the risk of fire, it can also introduce fumes and chemicals to your air supply that you don’t want to breathe. Any devices you want to use to help with cooking or to provide limited or temporary power to your house should be used in well-ventilated areas a fair distance from your home and anything else potentially flammable.
Preparation
Have your home ready in case of a power outage. Ensure that flashlights are charged or that there is a good supply of batteries which are prepared for use. If you have a functioning fireplace, make sure your chimney is clean, and your woodpile is topped up, so you are ready to use it in case of a power outage in the winter. Check on any other equipment like candles, generators, gas supply, and more.
Turn Things Off
When the power goes out, you want to unplug some devices while switching off other appliances and light switches in the house which aren’t working right now anyway. Turning off your tools and other electronic devices can protect against any damage from power surges when the power suddenly comes back on again. Turn your thermostats down lower as well so everything doesn’t kick in all at the same time and flood your circuits with power.