When it comes to power loss, it’s important to know what you’re dealing with and how to handle it. Find out more now.
Brownouts vs. Blackouts: What You Need to Know
Dealing with any kind of power loss is a pain. However, in order to handle the situation appropriately and figure out how to get things resolved, you have to know what you’re dealing with. Brownouts and blackouts are not the same thing. They happen for different reasons and they have different effects on your home, so they may require different preparation and responses. Keep reading to learn everything that you need to know about brownouts, blackouts, and protecting your home from power emergencies.
What Is a Brownout?
A brownout is usually a planned reduction in power during a time of peak usage. The electric company will reduce the power going to everyone’s homes in order to prevent a total blackout. This reduction isn’t enough to cause serious light disruption, but it can create a dimming effect, which is where the event got its name. These power disruptions can be damaging to sensitive electronics, though, so you should unplug computers, TVs, video game consoles, smart devices, and other sensitive items to prevent damage.
If you experience a brownout, you generally don’t need to call your power company. In most cases, they know what’s going on because they did it intentionally, and they’ll put the power back on in full capacity in due time. A brownout is often used to prevent blackouts because the inconvenience of a few hours of less power is better than the risk of a days-long total power outage because of an overload of the grid.
What is a Blackout?
A blackout is a total loss of power that results from a weather-related issue (such as wind or lightning) or a mechanical failure of some kind. A blown transformer, for example, can cause a total power outage for an entire neighborhood depending on its location. This is something that you should always notify the power company about so that they can come diagnose and repair the problem as quickly as possible. In most cases, electric companies don’t plan blackouts or expect total losses of power, so these are often considered more of an emergency situation.
A Proactive Approach Is Key
You should still unplug all of your electronic devices during either a blackout or a brownout. Even though there aren’t as many power surges related to a total blackout, the initial outage and the resurgence of power can cause many electrical devices to short out or otherwise fail. Have flashlights, candles, and backup generators in place, and make sure that you have a backup plan for securing your home or business if you rely on an electrical system that fails during a power reduction or outage.
Security During Power Outages
To learn more about protecting your home or business during a brownout or blackout, contact Access Control Security. Our team of professionals knows all about handling energy-related security and can make sure that everyone is safe until the grids are back in working order.
